Either Or
by KisaHeart22
Summary: It always has to be either or with Peter Pan and Henry. As the young believer's closest friend on the island, Wendy wants to make sure Henry eventually has both. If anyone deserved to have it all, it was him. One way or another, he simply MUST have both. Whether Peter Pan liked it or not. Panry pairing.
1. True Love or Family

Henry Mills regarded the brunette girl curiously as she continued to shout at the group of rowdy boys.

"I bet you wouldn't look so cute with a spear sticking out of your head!" She remarked, glaring at the red-headed boy that had just commented on her poor cooking skills.

The boys just laughed good-naturedly at the girl. Teasing the Lost Boy wannabe had grown quite entertaining over the past few days.

The girl opened her mouth to make another biting threat when a quiet voice down beside her spoke. "Um... Wendy?"

The brunette felt a soft touch on her arm and she whipped her head around to look down into the big eyes of Henry as he sat perched on the log directly behind her. The girl's features immediately softened with affection for the gentle and soft-spoken believer.

"What is it, sweetie?" She crooned, grasping onto his hand and clutching it close to her chest.

"Oh, I just wanted to ask you something," the boy began a bit awkwardly. He still wasn't quite used to how affectionate the older girl was. She always seemed to want to hug him or primp his hair or smooth out his clothing or be overly motherly towards him. Henry actually viewed the girl as more of an older sister than a mother figure though. Someone he could relate to on more of a friendship level.

Wendy immediately plopped down beside Henry, squeezing his hand even harder as she stared determinedly into his bright eyes.

"You can ask me absolutely anything and I will answer it truthfully with all my heart and soul," she vowed, as if her whole life had led up to this moment.

Henry just looked at her for a bit before glancing away awkwardly. "Um... Okay," he finally stated, a bit confused by the girl's sudden determination. Henry didn't worry about it too much though. Wendy had always struck him as being a bit... odd.

"Do you have a true love back home?" He finally asked, looking back at Wendy.

Henry was a little worried about how the brunette would react to his curiosity. Perhaps she would get defensive and demand to know why he was asking such a thing. Was it really strange for him to ask her that? Did it sound like a confession of some kind?

The girl's eyes widened a bit in surprise, not expecting such a serious topic from such a young boy. Then she let out a giggle and looked away, releasing Henry and placing her hands over her cheeks in an attempt to hide the deep blush forming there.

"Such a serious question!" She exclaimed, giggling again. Henry was relieved that Wendy didn't seem upset by his curiosity but he was a little confused by her sudden bashfulness.

"Yes," Wendy finally stated after she had her giddiness somewhat under control. "I do."

Henry's eyes widened a bit in surprise, not really expecting the girl to have found her soulmate yet. He continued to stare at Wendy with open curiosity, waiting for her to elaborate.

Wendy still seemed shy about the whole thing but met Henry's gaze with joy and love in her eyes. "We actually met when I was traveling around England. He was so handsome and brave and had such a kind heart. How could I not fall for him in a heartbeat? I mean, don't get me wrong, he has his moments. Sometimes I have to smack him around a bit to get him to stop goofing off so much," at this Wendy thrashed her hand back and forth in the air. "But, despite his flaws, I can't imagine what my life would be like without him. We just fit together, you know?"

And Henry nodded his head in understanding because he did know.

"We understand each other and I think that's what's most important. We may not always see eye-to-eye but we're there for each other through thick and thin. And we'll always be there for each other because that's what true love is."

"How did you know he was your true love though?" Henry asked, feeling more confident after Wendy had shared such personal words with him.

The girl gave him a wistful smile and breathed, "I just knew."

Henry scoffed quietly, rolling his eyes. He was growing tired of hearing that vague phrase repeatedly.

"It's true," Wendy quickly assured him, placing her hand on his knee, her eyes determined once again. "But it's more than just a simple feeling. It's who you are and who you are with that person and who that person is with you. It's that realization that you're a better human being simply because this person is in your life. They bring out the best in you and maybe even the worst at times but you know you will always be better off with them. No matter what, you just can't be without them."

Henry had been smiling softly throughout Wendy's speech but his eyes suddenly saddened ever so slightly and he looked down at his hands in his lap.

Wendy's observant gaze didn't miss the quiet change. Suddenly, the brunette's eye widened in realization. She cut her eyes to the side, scouring the Lost Boy's camp but failing to find the person she was seeking. She looked back over at Henry and quickly corrected her slip of the tongue.

"But- but just because you're true loves that doesn't mean you have to give up on the people you loved before you two met," she quickly stumbled out in an attempt to reassure the boy. Henry glanced back up at her again as Wendy smiled warmly at him. "True love brings families together. It doesn't tear them apart. True love asks for compromises not replacements. Even if a family is hesitant at first, if you just believe and explain things to them, they'll see. If it really is true love, eventually they'll see. I mean, you're here! So somebody at some point must've found true love!" Wendy exclaimed cheerfully, gently batting Henry under the chin with her finger. Henry laughed quietly at the girl's antics.

"And they'll understand," she continued encouragingly. "They'll see something that'll convince them and they'll accept him with open arms." Wendy smiled for a moment at the younger boy before suddenly realizing what she had just implied. "Er! Or her!" She quickly corrected. "Whoever!"

Henry smiled at the girl in amusement. He knew Wendy had figured it out but he was happy that she was at least trying to keep it secret.

Wendy smiled back at the boy warmly, emotion filling her eyes, before finally throwing her arms around him and pulling him into a tight hug, not being able to resist how utterly adorable he looked anymore. He reminded her so much of her little brothers when they were that young and innocent. Henry let out a small noise of surprise before hesitantly hugging the girl back.

"You just have to believe, Henry," Wendy whispered into his ear, squeezing him tighter. "True love ALWAYS finds a way."

"My, isn't this cozy," a voice suddenly remarked from behind the two. The voice was deceptively light-hearted but hinted of a darker emotion.

Wendy pulled back slightly as she and Henry looked over at the older boy dressed in green attire, leaning against the tree directly behind them with his arms crossed over his chest and an eyebrow arched curiously. He was regarding the two cooly, almost in amusement, but there was definitely a more... displeased vibe about him.

Wendy picked up on the tension immediately and jumped to her feet with a giddy laugh. "Aw, Panry! Don't be so jelly!" She crooned.

Peter mouthed the word "Panry," his brows knitting together in confusion before shaking his head ever so slightly and raising his brows again as if shrugging the name off as some silly girl thing.

"We were just having girl talk!" Wendy continued, waving her hand as if to brush him off. Then she suddenly realized her new slip up. "Oh! I meant boy talk. We were just having some boy talk. You know, since we're Lost Boys and all." The brunette smirked with cocky confidence at her smooth correction.

"Really, now?" Peter asked curiously, his brows arching again in mock interest. "Do tell. I mean, if it was just boy talk then it should be quite alright to enlighten me."

Wendy cut her eyes down to Henry for the briefest of moments. It was such a quick action but Peter's observant gaze didn't miss it. The Neverland ruler's eyes narrowed ever so slightly as his lips formed into a hard line. Just what had those two been discussing that had to remain so secretive? A possible attempt at escape?

Wendy could leave anytime she felt like it as far as Peter was concerned. She was nothing but a nuisance on the island anyway. All she did was get in the way and bug him about her two brothers even after Peter specifically told her they were in Storybrooke and nowhere near Neverland. She still refused to leave and continued to make his life miserable. Although seeing his Lost Boys give her a bit of grief was amusing, her insistence on trying to get closer to Henry wasn't and it was beginning to get on Peter's last nerve. He had told her time and again to stay away from the boy but she refused to listen. Even going so far as to hug Henry when she thought the older boy wasn't watching.

Peter felt the side of his lip twitch, fighting back the urge to snarl. If this girl thought she was going to somehow free Henry from Peter's grasp, she had another thing coming.

"I was just informing Henry about the ways of the Lost Boys," Wendy responded with forced confidence, not catching the new threatening tension in Peter's posture.

"And you would be an expert on that?" Peter asked casually, his eyebrows arching with curiosity.

"Of course!" Wendy exclaimed with surprise that the older boy would even have to ask such a thing. "I am the ultimate Lost Boy. Vicious, killer, and a total cutie." Wendy flipped part of her hair with her hand, giving Peter a confident smirk.

Peter regarded the girl with a bored expression before looking down at Henry. The younger boy seemed to have been getting along quite well with the girl. It made Peter feel annoyed that such an irritating person could get Henry to look so open and trusting. He remembered when Henry had looked at him like that right after they had jumped off that cliff together and flew across Neverland. He hadn't given Peter the expression since and it was beginning to worry the older boy slightly. Perhaps he was doing something wrong... But he couldn't let Henry's family take him away. Not after he had waited so many years to get him.

Peter shook his head a little in answer to his thoughts, Wendy and Henry completely missing the subtle action. No. Henry would grow to love Neverland... and Peter. He had to.

The older boy narrowed his eyes down at the girl again and pushed himself off of the tree in order to loom over her more easily. "I thought I told you to stay away from Henry," he stated, a threatening tone seeping into his voice.

Wendy scoffed and rolled her eyes. That again? Why did Peter insist on acting like such a child? Certainly the boy had to realize that he couldn't keep Henry locked away from the world and other people forever.

It still surprised Wendy just how possessive Peter was of the younger boy. It was almost amusing even. It was as if Henry was some shiny new toy Peter refused to let anyone even look at. Nobody could even talk to the boy for fear of what Peter would do to them. Not that Henry seemed to mind, Wendy had noted. All the smiling and blushing and giggling and longing stares, it was a wonder the boy even had to ask about true love! He clearly had it and he had it BAD.

"Oh, come on," Wendy began with a scoff. "Henry is adorable, so you're going to have to get used to sharing him at some point. You can't just lock him away in a cage underground or something. You'd, like, totally get arrested for that in the other world! He has to have friends! ... And family," Wendy added with a pointed look at Peter.

"He does have those things. Here," Peter replied, his eyes narrowing even further at the girl.

Wendy made another scoffing noise, "Hardly! You barely let anyone talk to him! I mean, look at you!" She motioned at Peter's tense posture. "You're getting all worked up over ME talking to him and you know for a fact I'm not a threat to you. I understand years of obsession can make you a little crazy but come on! You have to trust him to make his own decisions at some point. That's what true love does. It trusts and believes in the very best of those involved even when there's no proof."

Henry's eyes widened a bit in surprise before he groaned internally and looked away. It appeared that Snow wasn't the only one that couldn't keep a secret.

"True love?" Peter asked, arching a brow immediately in surprise and then narrowing his eyes just as quickly with suspicion. "Who said anything about true love?"

"Uh," Wendy's mouth actually hung open for a minute as her mind raced to think of an explanation. "I just... meant that... You know, whenever you DO meet your true love, I hope you... uh... give them more freedom than what you're... uh... WHAT WAS THAT, BENNY?!" Wendy suddenly shouted, holding her hand up to her ear as if listening for something. The Lost Boys looked over at her in surprise. "Sure! I can totally help you with that- that thing! I'll be right there!"

Wendy immediately turned on her heels to leave but just as quickly whipped back around and threw her arms around Henry's neck in an affectionate hug one last time, completely ignoring the way Peter's body tensed with anger.

"Hugs!" She crooned before releasing her hold on him and then skipping over to the Lost Boys seated around the bonfire.

Peter glared after the girl before Henry's quiet laugh snapped him out of his murderous thoughts. Peter looked down at the younger boy and felt his rage begin to subside at the boy's amused, gentle smile.

"She's certainly energetic," Henry remarked, still feeling a little awkward from the surprise hug.

"Energetic," Peter snorted, sitting down beside Henry on the log. "Not exactly the word I would've used." Henry smiled at the older boy, almost a bit scolding.

"Now, just where did all of that true love talk come from?" Peter asked again, suddenly redirecting his viper stare onto Henry.

Henry faltered for just a brief moment, which the Neverland ruler noticed, before shrugging innocently and looking back towards the other Lost Boys. Wendy was in the middle of saying something to the boys but none of them appeared to be very interested in whatever it was she was telling them.

Henry felt a warm hand grasp onto his chin and pull his face back around to lock eyes with Peter. Henry could feel heat rising to his cheeks as Peter studied has face intently. What exactly was he looking for?

Finally, Peter spoke. "You aren't thinking that girl is your true love, are you?" His voice carried a warning to it but underneath that was what Henry could only gather as uncertainty. As if Peter was doubting something in himself.

Henry was struck dumbfounded by the question for a moment before he finally managed to choke out a confused, "What?"

Peter released his hold on the younger boy and got to his feet abruptly, turning as if to walk over to the Lost Boys.

"Wait!" Henry suddenly pleaded, grabbing onto Peter's hand. Henry didn't understand what this sudden change in demeanor was. Peter refused to look at him but stayed where he was with Henry's fingers still latched onto his.

"I don't like Wendy," Henry stated firmly almost laughing at the thought. He was surprised by how much the mere idea seemed to affect Peter.

Henry dropped his gaze to the ground when Peter turned his head to look at him. His brows were furrowed, still questioning what it was Henry and Wendy had grown so close over.

Henry gave a reluctant sigh. "I was just asking her if she had a true love back in our world. I... wanted to know what it was like to find that person." Henry could feel his face burning with embarrassment. He suddenly became hyper aware that he was still holding onto Peter's hand. He quickly took his hand back and placed it in his lap again, refusing to look up at the older boy.

"Now, why in the world would you want to know such a thing?" Peter asked curiously, sounding a bit relieved but still cautious.

Henry shrugged a shoulder again, keeping his eyes locked on the ground.

"Do you think you've found your true love?" Peter hedged.

Henry could feel his heartbeat quicken as Peter's eyes searched him intently for his reaction. The way the younger boy stiffened, still keeping his gaze lowered, told the Neverland ruler everything he needed to know.

As much as Peter would have liked to believe he was the one on the boy's mind, he knew that couldn't possibly be true. Henry felt nothing but resentment towards him. He then wondered who exactly the younger boy could be thinking about. Peter had done a bang up job at keeping the other Lost Boys away from Henry, if he did say so himself. Henry had insisted he didn't like Wendy and Peter believed him. How could anyone possibly fall for that noisy creature?

But then... Who was Henry so infatuated by?

Peter leaned down and grabbed onto Henry's chin again, pulling his head up so he could search his expression once more, as if his face might suddenly have a name written on it.

Henry's face, indeed, had a name written on it. It was just in the form of blushes and wide eyes which was a language unfamiliar to Peter. Peter studied the porcelain white skin tinged with dark pink and the light hazel eyes intently for a few moments before huffing out a frustrated sigh and straightening back up. It annoyed Peter more than anything when he couldn't quite figure something out. He always knew what the people on Neverland were thinking, feeling, and doing but he still couldn't get inside Henry's mind which would have been most helpful at that very moment since Peter was dying to know who had captured the younger boy's unwavering attention.

Henry let out a very quiet sigh as well, feeling his heartbeat begin to slow again. It also frustrated the boy that Peter couldn't seem to read his feelings. Henry had never had a crush before, much less a feeling as strong as this one, so he wasn't quite sure how to approach the whole situation. He hoped Peter would eventually recognize his feelings and say something about it himself but so far that hadn't exactly been working. Peter didn't exactly strike him as the type that would be comfortable discussing his own emotions anyway.

Henry yawned. Thinking about such serious things so late in the evening made him tired. Peter arched a brow as he looked down at the boy. He could feel his frustration slipping away though, being replaced with a much gentler emotion instead. One that had to have been as close to love as Peter had ever felt.

"You need to get your rest," Peter murmured soothingly at the boy, a gentle smile tugging at his lips.

Henry glanced up at the older boy, feeling his cheeks flush and his heart rate quicken once again at the warm expression Peter was giving him.

'He never looks at anyone else like that,' Henry thought a bit selfishly, a small smirk working its way on his lips. Clearly he was picking up on some of Peter's common expressions. Not that he minded.

Peter gently took Henry's hand into his and helped him up off the log. Henry's legs felt a bit stiff from having been seated for so long but he barely noticed as his attentions were all focused on the casual touch of Peter's hand holding his.

Peter led him around to the large, hollowed out tree Peter had made his lodge in. Inside were two hammocks right beside each other against the far wall, a table, and a few chairs and other furnishings. Henry had gotten used to sleeping in here with the Neverland ruler. The fact that Peter insisted they sleep close to each other made Henry feel safe. He also felt a bit prideful that Peter wouldn't let anyone else besides Henry or Felix into the makeshift home.

Henry started to wonder about Felix but was quickly distracted by Peter helping him into his hammock. Henry laid down and felt his cheeks flush red again when Peter bent over and placed a soft kiss against the back of Henry's hand.

"Sleep now," Peter murmured the command gently, his eyes gazing into Henry's.

After a moment, the older boy turned to leave but Henry quickly grabbed onto the back of his shirt.

"Um, wait," Henry pleaded uncertainly.

Peter looked down at the boy, his eyebrows raising in curiosity. He knew exactly what the boy was going to ask and he had to fight back the urge to grin like an idiot.

"Could you... stay here with me for a little while?" The boy wouldn't meet Peter's gaze but the blush on his cheeks and the hesitation in his voice was enough to make Peter's heart flutter.

The older boy couldn't hold back his delighted smile any longer and he murmured warmly, "Of course."

He climbed into the hammock directly beside Henry's and laid down facing the boy. Henry rolled over onto his side so that the two were facing each other. A sleepy smile formed on Henry's face as he closed his eyes drowsily, the image of Peter's warm expression fresh in his mind.

Peter just gazed at the angelic boy for a moment. He was still having trouble accepting the boy was really here after all these years of longing for him. Henry was better than Peter's wildest dreams.

Peter leaned forward out of the hammock and pressed a gentle kiss to Henry's forehead. He knew the boy wasn't asleep just yet and wanted to show Henry at least something of his feelings for him. Henry's lips melted into a soft smile but the boy didn't open his eyes. Peter could feel a warmth in his chest he hadn't ever really felt before. He laid back down in his hammock, watching as the young believer drifted off to sleep.


	2. True Love or Fairy Dust

Henry was seated on his usual log the next morning waiting for Wendy to bring him breakfast. Usually Peter was the one that fed him but he, Felix and some of the other Lost Boys had gone out into the forest early that day and had yet to return.

Henry blushed at the memory of waking up that morning and finding Peter exactly where he had been the night before, just quietly watching Henry as he slept.

"Good morning," Peter had greeted warmly, sitting up in his hammock, his eyes never leaving Henry's face. "How did you sleep?"

Henry had slept quite well which wasn't unusual. After a bout of insomnia the first few days Henry was on Neverland, he now slept soundly at night having Peter right beside him.

Henry looked up to see Wendy saying something rather harshly to one of the blonde Lost Boys. The boy laughed but was quickly silenced with a sharp smack to the back of the head. The girl was busy picking up some fruits and berries out of a woven basket off to the side of the barely crackling campfire. She had a silver tray in her hands with a couple of fried eggs already placed on it.

Henry watched the brunette for a moment when he suddenly felt a warm hand slide over his mouth and a sharp tug pull him back into the bushes. Henry scuffled on the ground in surprise and quickly whipped his head around to look up into the crystal blue eyes of an older blonde woman. Her hair was pulled up into a loose bun on the top of her head and she wore a dark green dress. Her eyes were bright and curious but serious at the same time.

"... T- Tinkerbell?" Henry stuttered in surprise. He had never seen the woman before but he could tell who she was immediately.

The fairy nodded her head once. "What are you doing here?" She demanded, her english accent thick on her tongue. "Your family is worried sick about you!"

Henry felt a small wave of guilt wash over him as he averted his gaze away from the woman's prying eyes. He knew he needed to see his moms and the others but first he had to figure out what Peter felt for him before he could explain his own feelings to his family.

He opened his mouth, about to give the fairy some excuse for why he was still just sitting there, when a loud shriek and shouting suddenly came from the Lost Boys' camp.

"WHERE IS HE?!" The shrill voice demanded in an utter panic. "Peter leaves me in charge for five minutes and he's GONE! What if he's been kidnapped?! He's so cute, who WOULDN'T kidnap him?! What if he's being eaten by wolves? Or murdered! OR WORSE! What if he's being taken advantage of by some creep?!" The girl let out an earsplitting wail.

"What in the world is that?" Tinkerbell asked in confusion and disgust at the sound of the tantrum being thrown.

Henry shook his head and sighed a little. It didn't surprise him in the least that Wendy was being so hysterical over the prospect of him being gone.

"You boys!" The voice barked out. "Go search all of Neverland until you find him! We MUST get to him before something terrible happens! And before Peter realizes he's gone! Oh, he'll be so furious with us!" The girl let out a frightened shriek at the idea of the Neverland ruler's intense rage.

The sound of shuffling and stomping was heard from the campsite as all the boys quickly dispersed into the surrounding forest.

It was suddenly eerily quiet. Tinkerbell cocked an eyebrow and listened for a moment before opening her mouth to speak. "Well-"

Suddenly, the bushes beside Henry were torn open to reveal the brunette girl, her eyes wide with frenzy and panic. Her eyes immediately locked with Henry's and, after a second of shocked confusion, her face lit up with joy.

"HENRY!" She shrieked with delight, throwing herself at the boy and wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. She nuzzled her face against his and squeezed him hard against her chest, relieved tears spilling down her cheeks.

"I was so worried something had happened to you! I thought you had been kidnapped or murdered! Or your innocence was being taken!" She sobbed with delight at having the boy safely in her arms. She couldn't imagine losing her best friend to some crazed monster.

"I'm fine, Wendy," Henry mumbled into the girl's shirt, finding it a little hard to breathe from being squished so tightly.

The girl pulled Henry away at arms length and just gazed at him lovingly. She noticed the boy's eyes flicker off to the side for a brief moment. Wendy turned her head curiously in the direction of the gaze and instantly froze when she recognized the person standing a few feet away.

Wendy and the fairy just stared at each other for a minute before both faces hardened simultaneously.

"Tinkerbell," Wendy spat in disgust, as if the very word was dripping with dreamshade.

"Hello, Wendy," the blonde responded with just as much distaste seeping through her voice.

"I should have known you were behind Henry suddenly disappearing," Wendy accused, glaring viciously at the fairy.

"And I should have known you would be the one helping to keep him hostage," the blonde accused right back.

"Hostage?" Wendy exclaimed, almost laughing at the word. "Henry isn't a hostage! He wants to be here! Don't you, Henry?"

Henry opened his mouth to respond but the fairy quickly cut in.

"He WANTS to be with his family. Just as they want to be with him," Tinkerbell corrected fiercely.

Wendy turned her steely glare back onto the blonde. "I never said he didn't want to be with his family but right now he wants to be here."

"Why in the world would he want to be here with a DEMON when he could be with his loving family?" Tinkerbell demanded. "Who is worried sick about him, mind you."

"Peter is NOT a demon," Wendy corrected firmly.

Tinkerbell narrowed her eyes at the brunette. "Oh, but you and I both know that he is."

Henry wasn't quite sure what to make of the two girls' resentment towards each other. Henry remembered seeing in the Peter Pan stories back home that Tinkerbell never liked Wendy. He thought the little fairy had just been jealous of all the attention Peter Pan gave to Wendy. It appeared in real life their resentment for each other ran much deeper though. The Peter Pan out here didn't seem to care one bit about Wendy, so Henry knew it couldn't be jealousy that made the fairy so angry.

"He needs to go back to his family," Tinkerbell reiterated with force.

"And he will," Wendy agreed. "After he gets things sorted out here."

"Things?" The fairy scoffed. "What "things" could he possibly need to get sorted out?"

"Things you wouldn't understand," Wendy responded fiercely.

"Such as what? Matters of the heart?" The fairy asked, not really believing that to be the issue. "Honey, I know an awful lot about true love. In case you've forgotten who you're speaking to."

Wendy's eyes never wavered from Tinkerbell's, her gaze staying just as fierce as ever, not giving away any emotion other than hatred. Henry's eyes, however, were a different story. He had been watching the two with curiosity for a while until Tinkerbell brought up the idea of love being what kept Henry from returning to his family. That was when Henry swallowed guiltily and glanced over at the Lost Boys' camp. Tinkerbell didn't miss any of it.

The fairy's eyes widened with shock and horror as they stayed locked with Wendy's. "No," was all she could breathe out.

Wendy grimaced ever so slightly with annoyance, knowing Tinkerbell had figured it out. Now Wendy was REALLY going to hear about it.

"No," the blonde repeated, much more firmly this time. "You're wrong. He can't really be... That monster doesn't have a-"

"Well, why don't you just use your magical dust and we can find out right now?" Wendy interjected, venom dripping from her words.

Henry looked at the brunette in confusion. Fairy dust? What did that have to do with anything?

Wendy and Tinkerbell exchanged steely glares for a few moments.

"You know good and well I don't have any," Tinkerbell replied slowly, seething.

"Well, aren't you just the luckiest fairy in all the realms," Wendy sneered, pulling a small, brown satchel from her pants' pocket. "I happen to have some right here."

Tinkerbell's eyes widened, regarding the girl with a bit more respect. "Where did you get that? Fairy dust is very difficult to come by."

Wendy shrugged. "I've been saving it in case of an emergency. You're talking about taking Henry away. In my opinion, that counts as an emergency."

Wendy held the satchel out to the fairy who took it gingerly.

"Only use a little though," the brunette warned. "I may need that in the future."

Tinkerbell carefully pulled the strings of the satchel loose and gazed at the sparkly powder for a moment. It had been a long time since she had seen fairy dust up close. She poured out just a little of the substance into her hand, relishing the way the material felt in her palm again. Then she took a quiet breath and tossed the dust into the air directly above the younger boy.

Henry's eyes widened when the dust began to glow a vibrant green as it settled upon him. The dust swirled around him for a brief moment before floating about two feet away and then stopping on nothing in particular.

Wendy stared at the green glow for a few moments, holding her hand up in confusion as the dust slowly began to dissipate.

"That's it?" She demanded. "It must be broken."

"It's not broken," Tinkerbell scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Whoever the person is must know how to shift themselves from one place to the next. The dust can't find and settle on them because they're moving too quickly." The woman pulled the satchel's strings closed again and handed it back to the brunette.

Wendy took it and glared at the fairy. "Then what are we supposed to do now because you're not taking Henry until-"

"Until what?"

The girls gasped in alarm at the older boy suddenly standing in the spot the fairy dust was just circling around not moments ago. His brows were arched with innocent curiosity but the dangerously tense atmosphere surrounding him told the two girls this was not a friendly occasion.

Henry's cheeks flushed when he immediately recognized Peter but the boy wasn't paying him any mind. Instead, his eyes had narrowed and locked onto the blonde fairy who was now staring at the Neverland ruler with wide, deer-like eyes. The fear in them was painfully apparent.

"You're not taking Henry until what?" Peter repeated, the venom in his voice a clear warning not to answer.

Tinkerbell swallowed and cut her eyes over to Wendy who was staring at Peter with just as wide of eyes as she was.

Wendy had never felt such a threatening air from Peter before. Usually his irritation and jealousy were amusing and childish but this... This was entirely different. This was dangerous.

"I think there has been enough idle chatter for one day," Peter remarked almost good-naturedly, his narrowed eyes never once leaving Tinkerbell's wide orbs. "Wendy, would you be a dear and take Henry back into the camp? I would like to speak to Tinkerbell alone."

Wendy shook her head after a moment to clear it, her mouth hanging slightly agape. "Huh?" She asked, suddenly realizing Peter had said something to her.

"I said, would you be a dear and take Henry back into the camp? I would like to speak to Tinkerbell alone," Peter repeated, his voice growing more threatening with each carefully enunciated word. Tinkerbell's eyes widened even more as her body went rigid with fear.

"Uh... Yeah," Wendy stuttered, her eyes still locked onto Peter's form. The brunette scrambled to her feet helping Henry up who hadn't noticed the increasingly tense atmosphere. Probably too distracted by how different Peter suddenly looked to the boy. He was... more attractive somehow. If that were even possible.

The girl herded Henry back through the bushes, casting one last fearful glance at the fairy before they were out of sight.  
Peter watched the two go, his eyes meeting Henry's for the briefest of moments, before turning a deceptively pleasant smile onto the blonde standing before him.

"Would you care to take a walk with me?" He asked in a friendly tone, motioning towards the forest, as if the two were just old friends going for a hike.

Tinkerbell stared at the boy suspiciously for a moment before hesitantly stepping in the direction he had motioned towards. It wasn't like she had much of a choice in the matter. The ruler would either kill her now or later. It would be better for Henry not to be in close proximity with such a violent scene.

As the two walked along, Tinkerbell hedged a glance at the taller boy, the pleasant look on his face masking the murderous rage Tinkerbell knew was burning inside of him.

"Tinkerbell," Peter finally began, his voice light-hearted which worried the fairy all the more. "May I call you Tink?" He asked with a pleasant smile.

Tinkerbell didn't make any movement that she had heard him. She just kept walking, her eyes planted forward. She was trying to put on a brave face, as if being so close to Peter wasn't terrifying her.

"Very well then," Peter remarked still pleasant as he turned to look ahead as well. "You know, Tink, you used to be so loyal to me and the boys. I truly miss those days. We always had such fun together destroying the intruders on the island. The boys really liked you, you know. Whatever happened to that?"

Tinkerbell took a deep breath, finally working up the courage to speak. "Henry belongs with his family."

Peter let out a bark of laughter, his brows raising in amusement at what the girl said. "Oh, no. He belongs right here on Neverland with me."

Tinkerbell suddenly remembered the fairy dust and how it had settled directly in the spot Peter had materialized in. The dust couldn't go very far because the person was moving places too quickly.

Tinkerbell's eyes widened. It was true then. She turned her head to stare at the Neverland ruler. His expression had turned dangerous again, she could tell from his striking profile. The side of Peter's lips twitched upwards in a smirk as he turned his head to meet Tinkerbell's gaze dead on.

This demon couldn't possibly be anyone's true love! Tinkerbell thought as fear began to form inside of her again. Especially not Henry's! That boy was pure and innocent. This monster would do nothing but destroy him from the inside out. He had already been trying to convince the boy his family didn't care about him. That wasn't true love! That was psychotic!

Tinkerbell turned her head to look forward, swallowing nervously again.

"Now, here's what's going to happen, Tink," Peter began casually, his face becoming pleasant once more. He placed his arm around Tinkerbell's shoulders noting the way she flinched at his touch. Henry never flinched when Peter drew him close. "Henry is going to stay here on Neverland with me and you are going to convince his family to leave."

"And why would I do that?" Tinkerbell worked up the courage to ask, a hint of stubborn resentment in her voice.

Peter smirked knowingly as he breathed in her ear. "Because I can give you exactly what you want."

Tinkerbell turned her head slightly towards him. Despite her better judgement, she was honestly curious about what the boy would offer.

"You want your wings back, don't you?" Peter asked, noting the way the fairy tensed at the mention of her wings. "The queen can't give them to you permanently but I can. If you get rid of Emma's little... group, I will give you all the fairy dust your heart could ever desire."

Tinkerbell knew better. She knew better than to take any deal this demon offered her. Peter's deals were even worse than the Dark One's. They always came with a price nobody would willingly pay.

"And what's the catch?" Tinkerbell asked, already regretting the question because it showed that she was interested. It gave away her weakness.

Peter smiled, his brows rising in feigned innocence. "There's no catch! Just get rid of Henry's family and I'll give you any amount of fairy dust you wish for. Do we have a deal?"

Tinkerbell looked down at the boy's outstretched hand before glancing back up at his face. His expression was open, inviting but there was a darker feeling beneath the surface. He would never forgive her for turning on him and attempting to take Henry away. She didn't know how this plan would get her killed but she knew there had to be some deadly catch she was unaware of. Peter never let anyone walk away from treachery unscathed.

Tinkerbell glanced at his hand one last time before pulling away from his arm still slung over her shoulder and heading on down the trail.

"I suppose I'll take that as a "no, thank you" then," Peter called after her with amusement in his voice. Once the fairy was no longer visible, Peter's eyes narrowed and his lips formed into a hard line.

That woman was becoming an even bigger nuisance than Wendy. At least Wendy had been wise enough to keep Henry close to camp. Despite the girl's insistence that Henry belonged with his family, Peter knew she secretly liked the younger boy being on Neverland. They were close there and Wendy had never had a best friend before outside of her little brothers. If Henry left the island, they would never see each other again.

As much as Peter hated how close the two were, he had to admit that he was at least somewhat grateful for their friendship. It made Wendy something of an ally. She would do whatever Henry wanted and, right now, Henry wanted to stay on Neverland.

Peter smiled a little to himself at the thought.

He suddenly felt a presence come up beside him. He didn't even have to look. He knew it was his second-in-command, Felix, as the taller boy stopped and waited.

"Don't go after the fairy," Peter ordered after a moment of silence, still staring down the path Tinkerbell had walked off on. "She's on her way to see Henry's family to inform them about what has happened. They'll be on their way over here in the next couple of days. We'll head them off then."

Felix nodded once, staying where he was.

"I don't think we need to worry Henry with the details of this," Peter continued, half to himself. "Nor that girl. Let her believe whatever she wishes to believe happened here. The most important thing is to keep Henry safe and away from those... intruders. We'll let them find him eventually. He'll just have to trust me enough to tell them he no longer wishes to see them. After they see the intensity of his hatred for them, they'll leave him be." Peter smirked devilishly to himself. "And he will finally be forever mine."


	3. True Love or Monster

"Where is Peter taking Tinkerbell?" Henry asked as Wendy continued to push him deeper into the camp.

"Um..." Wendy hesitated for a moment, biting her lip in uncertainty of what to tell the boy. "They're just... going for a little walk." She grimaced behind the boy's back.

Wendy didn't stop nudging Henry forward until the two were safely on the other side of the camp grounds. The Lost Boys she had sent out earlier had yet to return. She guessed Peter would have to round them up once he finished with Tinkerbell. Wendy winced again.

Henry turned to face the girl, his eyes searching her expression for some sort of answer. "Peter isn't going to hurt Tinkerbell, is he?" He finally asked hesitantly after a moment, concern lacing his face.

Wendy stared at the boy with a bit of surprise at how perceptive he had suddenly gotten. She hesitated for just a second before responding but that second was long enough to tell Henry something wasn't right.

"Of course not," Wendy said with a nervous laugh. "He would never do such a thing." She laughed uneasily for a few more moments before suddenly exclaiming, "Hey! Are you hungry? Because I am starving!"

She turned on her heels and quickly walked over to the basket of fruits again, purposely avoiding Henry's scrutinizing gaze. In all honesty, Wendy wasn't the least bit hungry and she had gathered that Henry hadn't much of an appetite either but she needed some sort of distraction. The boy wouldn't be able to ask her questions if their mouths were full.

It was late in the afternoon before Peter, Felix, and the other Lost Boys finally showed back up. Peter cocked a curious eyebrow when he found Wendy and Henry sitting in the middle of camp with some sticks and leaves sprawled out between them. Henry's eyes instantly brightened for just a second when he saw Peter, then they suddenly darkened with something the older boy could only imagine as being mistrust. And Peter didn't like that one bit.

Peter walked over to the two with a warm expression of curiosity, not wanting to worry the younger boy more than he already had that day. Felix and the other boys had brought back a couple of wild hogs that had been shot through the hearts with arrows, so they were busy preparing to skin and cook them.

Wendy's eyes narrowed a bit when Peter squatted down beside them, balancing on his toes, his light-hearted expression staying locked on Henry who had dropped his gaze to the ground, refusing to look at the older boy. Wendy looked Peter over intently not finding an ounce of blood on him. Perhaps he had let the fairy go?

Wendy's brows knit together suspiciously. No. Peter would never allow a traitor to simply walk away unless they would be of use to him in the future. He had been so angry over the fairy trying to take Henry away though, Wendy highly doubted usefulness would dissuade him from ripping her throat out immediately. The girl swallowed uneasily at the thought.

"So, what are you two doing?" Peter asked energetically, the question clearly directed to the younger boy.

Henry didn't look up or even acknowledge he had heard. Wendy noticed the way Peter's eyes narrowed for a split second, displeased with this sudden change in attitude. She could feel the tension already starting to roll over the two boys like a wave.

Wendy laughed nervously, waving around the stick she held in her hand in an attempt to draw the Neverland ruler's attention away.

"We were just playing Sticks and Leaves!" The girl stated with forced delight.

Peter kept his eyes locked on Henry's form as he responded. "I'm afraid I'm unfamiliar with that game."

Wendy forced a grin. "Oh, it's just like tic-tac-toe! Only we use sticks and... leaves..." Wendy's voice trailed off when she noticed Peter wasn't paying her any mind.

"So, who's winning?" Peter asked the boy, attempting to sound light-hearted again. Henry still didn't make any movement that he had heard.

It was quiet for a few heartbeats when Wendy forced another laugh. "Well, nobody just yet. The wind keeps blowing the leaves away," she offered, desperately wishing Henry would make some sort of response to Peter. She could feel the older boy's patience beginning to wear thin.

A deadly silence fell over the three. Wendy noticed Peter's jaw clench tightly when she suddenly felt a hand grip hard onto her wrist, eliciting a squeak of alarm from the girl.

"May I speak with you for a moment?" Peter growled in a low voice, turning his head to pierce the girl with narrowed eyes.

Wendy's mouth hung open in horror as she quickly shook her head in a pleading no before being yanked to her feet.

Henry was on his instantly.

"Peter, stop! Where are you taking her?" Henry demanded, no longer ignoring the older boy.

Wendy had never seen her angel act this way. All because he was worried about what Peter would do to her? If Wendy wasn't so terrified, she would have felt incredibly touched by the boy's actions. They really were friends.

Peter hesitated for the briefest of moments, his back to the younger boy and his grip momentarily loosening on the girl's wrist. His eyebrows knit together in confusion when he felt a sharp pain go through his chest. He turned his head slightly to mutter over his shoulder, "We're just going to talk." He couldn't even look at Henry for fear of what emotion he would see plastered on the boy's face.

Peter pulled Wendy along in a much less angry manner until they got to the other side of the clearing and stopped. Henry watched the two for a few minutes before deciding Peter wasn't going to harm the girl and sitting back down on the ground. He did cast worried glances over at them every now and then though, still not completely trusting the older boy not to hurt his friend.

"What did you tell Henry about Tinkerbell?" Peter asked, his voice much less threatening than the brunette would have expected.

Wendy blinked a couple of times in confusion, completely forgetting what had transpired that morning. "Tinkerbell?" She asked.

"Yes, Tinkerbell," Peter replied impatiently, his eyes narrowing. This girl couldn't possibly be THAT dense.

Wendy's eyes suddenly widened with realization. "Oh, right! Tinkerbell! I didn't tell Henry anything."

Peter studied the girl's face, his brows lowering.

"He didn't ask you anything about her?" He suggested, as if he already knew the answer.

"Oh, yeah!" Wendy exclaimed, remembering their earlier conversation. "He asked me if you would hurt her and I told him no, of course not. You would never do such a thing." At this the girl's eyes narrowed pointedly at the older boy. "Because you didn't. Right?"

Peter ignored the girl's question. "Then why is Henry ignoring me?"

Wendy practically scoffed, wanting to say, 'Why wouldn't he?' She didn't though for fear of what the ruler would do to her. Instead, she simply shrugged.

"I don't know. Maybe you scared him this morning or something," she suggested.

Peter snorted, rolling his eyes before letting his gaze rest on something over Wendy's shoulder. Henry had been watching the two again but he quickly averted his gaze when he caught Peter's eye. The younger boy wasn't quick enough to keep Peter from noticing the way his porcelain cheeks flushed at the sudden eye contact though.

Peter kept his eyes fixated on Henry for a few moments longer before shaking his head a bit and then raising an eyebrow in boredom at Wendy.

"He doesn't think I'm some sort of monster, does he?" Peter asked casually, his voice sounding uncaring.

Wendy cocked an eyebrow at the older boy. What kind of question was that? Since when did the ruler of Neverland care what people thought of him? Then again, this wasn't just any person. This was Henry they were talking about.

Wendy felt a small smile tug at the corners of her mouth. Peter really did like Henry and it was cute how much he was trying to hide it. Wendy was actually a little surprised Peter hadn't started throwing pebbles at the younger boy or something. The way little boys picked on the girls they liked. She smiled even wider at the thought.

"What are you grinning about?" Peter demanded, his eyebrows knitting together in disgust.

"Nothing," Wendy giggled, the image of a little Peter throwing small wads of paper at a tiny Henry still planted in her head.

"Ug. I knew better than to talk to you," Peter groaned, wrinkling his nose before turning to walk away from the brunette.

"Wait!" Wendy suddenly exclaimed, grabbing onto the older boy's wrist. "You want help with Henry, right?"

"I don't recall asking for such a thing, no," Peter responded stubbornly, shaking the girl's hand off and then crossing his arms over his chest.

Wendy huffed out a sigh.

"You didn't ASK for it," she responded, rolling her eyes in exasperation. "I just assumed you would want it since things weren't going so well with him on your own."

Peter opened his mouth to argue but Wendy quickly continued.

"You know, maybe if you didn't want to murder everyone that tried to talk to Henry, he wouldn't be so scared of you. I mean, you were about to kill me, like, five minutes ago! That doesn't exactly scream boyfriend material! And I don't know what you did to Tinkerbell this morning but, whatever it was, I highly doubt THAT was boyfriend material either." Wendy jabbed her finger at Peter's chest, giving the boy a stern look.

Peter narrowed his eyes at the girl's hand before turning the look onto the girl herself. Nobody EVER spoke to him that way but he didn't argue.

"That's what I thought," Wendy stated, taking her hand back when she noticed the ruler's clear aggravation. "Now, if you REALLY want my help, you're gonna have to stop getting angry at me over every little thought that runs through your mind. Believe it or not, I'm on your side here." The girl suddenly remembered Henry's family and then brushed her hand through the air dismissively. "... Mostly. Eventually, you ARE going to have to let his family at least see him but, until then, I'm on your side. Perhaps you could try talking to him."

"Actually, I have a better idea," Peter suddenly said, a mischievous grin lighting his features. Wendy wasn't sure she liked the sound of that. "I was about to head down to the river to take a little evening dip. Maybe I'll bring Henry along."

Wendy definitely didn't like the sound of that!

"Whoa, whoa," the brunette said, her voice laced with offense as she placed her hand up to the boy's chest once again. "I'm gonna have to stop you right there, Mister. He's ELEVEN."

"Twelve," Peter corrected, batting the girl's hand away from him. He didn't appreciate being casually touched so frequently.

"Whatever," Wendy stated with a toss of her head, as if it didn't make much of a difference to her. "The point is, he's not at your age and I refuse to just stand here and let you do whatever it is you're thinking of doing in that filthy little mind of yours." She glared up at the older boy defiantly.

Peter rolled his eyes. "I assure you, whatever is crossing your filthy little mind is much worse than what has crossed mine." He suddenly smirked. "We were just going to do a little bathing."

Peter easily stepped around the girl and casually sauntered back over to where Henry was still seated.

Wendy's eyes suddenly widened in horror as she spun around. "Wait! That's even worse!"

Henry looked up with a bit of surprise when he noticed Peter standing beside him, smiling warmly. Peter opened his mouth to greet the boy when Wendy suddenly slid in-between the two, her arms stretched out to the sides as if to shield Henry from the ruler's lewd clutches.

"No! Absolutely not!" She exclaimed, her eyes wild with panic. "I will NOT allow this to happen! If you wanna get to Henry, you're gonna have to go through me first!"

Peter regarded the girl cooly, only slightly amused by the display. A devilish grin suddenly spread across his face as he called out simply, "Felix."

Wendy's brows knit together in confusion. "Felix?" She asked, uncertain why the older boy would feel the need to call for-

The girl suddenly let out a squeak of alarm as she was being hoisted into the air and then draped across the taller boy's shoulders like a lamb with a shepherd. She kicked her feet wildly in the air and pounded on the boy's arm with her fist to no avail.

"You put me down this instant, you brute!" She demanded but Felix wasn't concerned with her in the least.

"Oh, don't worry. He'll put you down," Peter reassured the girl with that same wicked smirk. "After we're gone."

Peter bent over and held his hand out to the younger boy who looked at it for a moment with uncertainty before finally taking it and allowing Peter to gently pull him to his feet.

"No! Henry!" Wendy begged, gripping onto Felix's cloak in desperation. "Don't listen to him!"

Henry looked over at the girl in concern but Peter was already beginning to pull him away, speaking soothing words to the younger boy about how his friend would be perfectly safe here with the other Lost Boys.

"NO!" Wendy wailed once more, stretching her hand out in a very dramatic fashion as the two disappeared into the woods. "If he tells you it doesn't hurt, he's lying!"

Wendy stayed in that same desperate position for a few more moments before finally letting her arm fall to Felix's side in heartbreak. She knew Peter wouldn't hurt Henry, she just wasn't ready to lose her friend to someone else.

Wendy looked over at Felix's cloaked head and had an idea suddenly occur to her.

"You know, Felix," she began with an innocent grin and a bat of her eyelashes. "I never noticed it before but you're really strong. Like, REALLY strong. Did you get your big burly muscles by working on a farm or something?" At this, Wendy squeezed Felix's toned bicep flirtatiously. "I mean, you have a really thick country accent, so I just assumed you did some sort of farm labor in your old life. Big muscles, blonde hair, blue eyes... At least, I think they're blue. I haven't really gotten a good look at them... But anyway! How do you NOT have a girlfriend?"

Felix turned his head ever so slightly towards the brunette but, otherwise, didn't respond. Hidden under the cloak, one of his eyebrows had raised ever so slightly as if questioning the girl's mental capabilities.

"Oh, right! Duh!" Wendy suddenly exclaimed, bumping herself on the forehead with the base of her palm. "You're on Neverland with the Lost Boys! Of course you wouldn't have a girlfriend! So, which one of these ruffians do you find most attractive?" Wendy grinned at the boy's covered head expectantly.

Felix still didn't make any response to the girl.

"Oh, oh! Let me guess!" Wendy suddenly exclaimed, already forgetting about Henry's plight in light of these new romantic developments.

"Hm." Wendy narrowed her eyes as she looked around the camp at the groups of boys sitting or standing about. She suddenly let out a gasp of delight when her eyes fell upon a particularly timid looking brunette boy.

"Oh! Is it Brent?!" She asked excitedly, whipping her head back around to study the side of Felix's cloaked face. "It is, isn't it? It's Brent, right? I can totally tell! You two have so much sexual tension! That's it! I'm setting you two up on a romantic dinner date tonight! Quickly! Put me down so I can get everything ready!" She patted Felix's arm repeatedly.

Felix didn't move for a few moments until he finally let out a very quiet, reluctant sigh and shifted the girl around on his shoulders. He knew it would be pointless to resist. He gently sat Wendy's feet down on the ground and just stood there as she skipped over to the other Lost Boys and demanded they retrieve random supplies she didn't give any explanation for. Felix shook his head, feeling a very tiny smirk cross his lips in amusement.

-

Peter led Henry deeper into the woods, surprised by how quiet the younger boy was staying. He was certain Henry would ask him more about Wendy but, so far, he had kept his eyes lowered and mouth shut as Peter gently tugged him along. The older boy hedged a glance back at Henry and decided to break the awkward silence.

"I bet you're wondering where we're going," Peter began with a light-hearted tone. Henry didn't respond. "We're going to a lookout point high above the trees where you can see for miles out across the ocean. It's a beautiful spot with a waterfall close to it. On evenings like this, fireflies tend to make an appearance there. It's truly magical."

Henry suddenly stopped causing Peter to pull away from his hand before turning to look at the boy curiously with a raised eyebrow. "Henry? What's wrong?"

Henry just stared at the ground for a few moments before finally raising his head to search Peter's eyes. "You didn't hurt Tinkerbell, did you?" He asked with uncertainty.

Peter momentarily felt a bit surprised that the boy was still thinking about that silly fairy. His eyebrows lowered with sincerity as he met the boy's gaze head on. He needed to put an end to this string of mistrust before it got out of hand.

"Of course not," Peter responded honestly, allowing a bit of hurt to seep onto his face. "I would never hurt Tinkerbell. Or anyone for that matter. Not unless they tried to hurt you."

Henry studied Peter's expression for the longest time before lowering his gaze back to the ground.

"I'm sorry," he murmured after a moment. "I shouldn't even be asking such a thing. It's just that… Everyone seems so frightened of you. I didn't understand why until I saw the way you were looking at Tinkerbell. Like you were going to hurt her. I started thinking maybe you weren't such a good..." Henry trailed off.

Peter stared at the boy for a while. He knew what he needed to ask but he was honestly worried about how Henry would respond. Peter didn't know if he could handle the answer he knew he would receive. He swallowed though, glancing down at the ground and then looking back up at Henry.

"Do you think I'm a monster?" He hedged, trying to keep his face neutral but knowing some concern was filtering through.

Henry looked up at him in surprise. Peter wasn't sure if that was a good sign or not. The younger boy lowered his eyes to the ground again, his eyebrows scrunching together as he thought of how to respond. Peter could feel his pulse quickening as paranoia began to set in.

"I think your temper gets the best of you at times," Henry finally spoke, choosing his words carefully. He turned his face upwards to give Peter a determined expression. "But that doesn't make you a monster."

That was when Peter felt something click inside of him. He didn't know what the feeling was or what it meant but he definitely felt something he had never felt before. Something strong and unnerving.

Peter turned his gaze away from Henry, fearing the younger boy would see the new feeling in his eyes. Peter scrunched his eyebrows together momentarily in confusion before clearing his throat. "Come on. We're not very far now."

Peter turned his back on the boy and began heading off through the forest again. Henry had, indeed, noticed Peter's sudden discomfort and smiled a little to himself. If Henry could make Peter see how much he believed in the Neverland ruler, perhaps Peter would believe in himself and fight whatever darkness was plaguing him. He hadn't called Henry the truest believer for nothing.

After the two had walked for a few more minutes across the rough terrain, Henry noticed what looked to be a clearing up ahead behind a line of trees. That must have been the lookout Peter was referring to earlier. As the they drew closer though, Peter suddenly stopped, his body tensing. Henry stopped directly behind him, almost running into the older boy.

"What's wrong?" Henry asked curiously.

Peter continued to stare straight ahead, anger flashing in his eyes. He suddenly whipped around, forcing his expression to be light and reassuring.

"Wait right here. I'll only be a few minutes," Peter told Henry firmly before turning and walking the rest of the way to the clearing, disappearing behind the wall of trees and brush.

A blonde woman in a dark green dress was standing on the edge of the cliff, scanning the black waters below. She was clearly searching intently for something.

"What are you looking for?" Peter asked, his voice hard, startling the girl.

He was standing just in front of the line of trees, his arms crossed over his chest tightly to keep from wringing the woman's neck. He thought he had made it clear that morning that he didn't want to see this fairy again.

The blonde whipped around, panic immediately filling her eyes at the sight of Peter's clear irritation. She thought Pan would be back at the Lost Boys' camp with Henry. What, was he following her now or something?

"I said, what are you looking for, Tink?" Peter repeated, his voice low as he took a step towards the fairy.

Tinkerbell's eyes widened with fear as she glanced down at the cliff face she was standing on. Her feet were only inches away from the ledge. Peter could easily push her over and nobody would ever know. She swallowed, forcing her expression to turn hard.

Peter was less than three feet away from her when he suddenly stopped short, his eyes widening a bit in surprise and his expression turning distant. Tinkerbell's eyebrows scrunched together in both suspicion and confusion. After a few moments, Peter seemed to snap out of whatever daze he was in and a wicked smirk crossed his features as he stared at the blonde.

"It appears your little mermaid friend has returned to Neverland," he stated easily, watching the fairy's reaction.

Tinkerbell's eyes widened in fear more than surprise. Peter had always been able to tell when someone was entering or leaving the island. The fairy just thought she'd be able to get to the mermaid without Peter paying attention to what she was doing. The fact that Peter was there right then and not even looking angry worried Tinkerbell. The boy was at his most dangerous when he was pleased with events.

"Maybe I should help you get to her faster," Peter suggested, his eyes showing all the evil intentions in his words.

Tinkerbell sucked in a sharp breath as Peter's hand darted forward, grabbing the blonde by her throat and leaning her back so that she was teetering on the very edge of the cliff. Tinkerbell's eyes were wide with fear as she clawed at the boy's arm in an attempt to dislodge him. Peter's eyes glinted with excitement.

"You should know better than to try and outsmart me, Tinkerbell," he hissed, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "You should've just gone straight to Henry's family instead of trying to play the little heroine. That mermaid doesn't have anything that can defeat me."

Tinkerbell was gasping for air as she stared down at the Neverland ruler's hard gaze. She didn't know why he wasn't just throwing her from the cliff right then. Wanting to prolong her suffering probably.

"PETER!" A shocked and familiar cry from the edge of the clearing broke Peter's concentration just long enough for Tinkerbell to whip out her dagger from the scabbard at her side and slam it into the boy's extended arm. She could feel the knife hit bone as she yanked it downwards and the hand immediately released its hold on her. She took one gasping breath before plunging over the side of the cliff into the cold, dark waters below.

"Peter! Tinkerbell!" The voice cried out, unsure who he should be most concerned for in that moment.

Peter hissed in pain, gripping onto the gapping wound on his arm, a curse word falling from his lips in anger. "She's fine," he growled through clenched teeth, refusing to look at the boy as he stalked over to the line of trees and pushed his way back into the forest.

Henry looked at the cliff in shock and uncertainty for a moment before tearing himself away from the scene he had just witnessed and running after Peter, trusting the fairy would be able to use her fairy dust to fly to safety.

-

"I... told you... to... SIT DOWN!" Wendy grunted in frustration, pulling the two ends of a rope tightly, constricting the brunette male's movements even more.

The boy whimpered in fear as the rope tightened around his arms and torso. He was seated on a log that had been purposely placed on one side of a roughly constructed rock table. Atop the makeshift table set two stone plates, a burning candle the brunette wasn't sure where the other Lost Boys had found, and some flowers he also wasn't sure the origins of. On the other side of the table, seated casually on another log, was Felix sipping some sort of herbal tea mix from a wooden cup. He wasn't paying attention at all to the commotion going on in front of him and, unlike the brunette, he wasn't all tied up either. The other Lost Boys were all standing around them with trays of food in their hands, looking incredibly bored at having to play waiters of the makeshift restaurant.

Wendy's angry face was suddenly an inch away from the brunette male's and he quickly leaned away in fear and surprise, a small squeak escaping from his lips.

"Brent, you're going to sit here and be seduced! And you're going to like it!" She hissed firmly, a growl emitting from her throat.

Just then, a rustling noise came from the bushes on the other side of the camp. All eyes turned and locked onto Peter as he emerged from the leaves, still gripping onto his arm, blood flowing everywhere, an angry snarl on his face. He didn't look at any of them as he made a direct line to the giant, hollowed-out, tree stump his lodging was in.

Henry emerged from the same bushes not a moment later. He scanned the campsite briefly before catching sight of Peter as he entered his home and quickly ran to catch up to the older boy.

"Peter! Wait!" He called out as he made it to the tree and went inside, shutting the wooden door behind him.

Everyone just stared at the tree stump lodge for a few moments, curious about what exactly had happened.

"Alright!" Wendy's commanding voice suddenly exclaimed. "Bring on the first course!"

A couple of the Lost Boys placed some leaves on the two plates as Brent heaved a quiet sigh. If this was what being seduced was like, he didn't want any part of it.

-

Peter sat down on one of the chairs in the home, his teeth still clenched in pain as blood just kept flowing from the wound.

"You need to wrap that," Henry stated with worry, walking over to Peter. He bent down, reaching out a hand to take Peter's arm when the older boy suddenly jerked away from him, rising to his feet and walking over to the other chair.

"It's fine," he snapped fiercely. "It just needs to heal."

"It's not fine," Henry persisted, following Peter. "It needs to be wrapped up. I know you can heal yourself and all but losing that much blood isn't good."

Henry reached down again to touch Peter's arm but he jerked away once more, getting to his feet and going back to the original chair. Henry huffed out a sigh at the older boy's childish behavior.

"At least let me look at it," Henry stated with a hint of frustration, walking back over to Peter.

"This wouldn't have even happened if you had done what I told you to and stayed put!" Peter spat, his eyes narrowing in anger at the younger boy.

"What, so you could push Tinkerbell off that cliff? Which you did anyway," Henry responded with visible annoyance. "We don't even know if she's okay!"

Peter groaned in irritation, rolling his eyes. "She's fine. I told you she was fine."

"You told me you wouldn't hurt her either," Henry reminded him. "And you clearly lied about that since you were choking her."

Peter turned his head away from Henry, his eyes glaring venomously at the wall instead of his believer.

"Are you going to wrap this or not?" Peter asked tersely after a few moments of tense silence.

"I will if you'll let me look at it," Henry countered.

Peter held his arm out towards the younger boy almost in a childish manner, keeping his head turned away and his eyes locked on the wall. Henry couldn't even see how bad the wound was because of all the blood covering Peter's arm. The boy quickly went to fetch a bowl of water and a small cloth that was lying on the table. Henry gently began washing the blood off of Peter's arm. The older boy clenched his jaw tightly, determined not to show any signs of discomfort.

Once Henry had washed most of the blood off of Peter's arm, he could tell the wound was already starting to heal itself. The deep gash that had sliced down to the bone was now, very slowly, becoming just a really bad cut. It was still bleeding quite heavily though, so Henry decided to go ahead and wrap it anyway.

Henry saw a worn out cloak lying beside the wall to his left and decided that would work good enough. He tore off a strip of the fabric and firmly tied it over Peter's wound. Once he was finished, Peter held his arm up and moved it around a bit, inspecting the work. Then he looked back over at Henry and raised an eyebrow.

"You know, you owe me for this injury," Peter stated in a matter-of-fact way.

Henry knit his brows together in confusion, just staring at the boy in disbelief for a moment. "What? Why?" He asked.

"Because, if it wasn't for you, I would have never been injured in the first place," Peter replied in a mock scolding manner.

Henry gave him an unamused expression. If it wasn't for Henry, Peter would have definitely killed Tinkerbell. Besides, hadn't Henry already kind of payed Peter back by cleaning and wrapping his arm up?

"What do you want?" Henry asked with an exasperated sigh, folding his arms over his chest.

"A kiss," Peter replied simply, a smirk forming on his lips as he eyed the younger boy for his reaction.

Henry's eyes widened in surprise as he looked down at Peter still seated in the chair. Peter put one leg up on the other and turned his head to the side, tapping his cheek a couple of times and then waiting expectantly.

Henry couldn't help but laugh lightly at the scene. He figured that in itself was deserving of a little something.  
He bent down, still smiling, and placed a quick, light, peck on Peter's cheek.

Peter scoffed when the boy straightened back up, turning his head back around to give the younger male an incredulous look.

"You call THAT a kiss?" Peter asked, one eyebrow cocking with disbelief.

Henry frowned, looking slightly offended. "What was wrong with it?"

"Everything," Peter snorted. He abruptly stood, grabbing onto Henry's hand and pulling him closer. "This is a kiss," Peter murmured, his eyes intense yet teasing at the same time as they bored into Henry's wide orbs.

Peter leaned down, pressing a warm kiss against Henry's cheek. He held the contact until he was certain Henry's cheeks were good and red. Then he let out a gentle, warm breath against the pink skin and straightened back up, a knowing smirk on his lips.

"I expect you to do better next time," Peter stated casually with a wave of his hand, turning and walking over to the door, as if nothing had happened.

Henry watched him leave, his heart pounding in his chest, one hand on the cheek Peter had just kissed. Next time? Henry wondered to himself. It was as if Peter expected there to be more encounters like that between the two of them.

Henry couldn't hold back the giddy smile forming on his lips as he followed after Peter.


	4. True Love or Desperation

Tinkerbell gasped for air and then coughed up water as she was pushed up onto the sandy shores. She couldn't believe that demon had thrown her over the edge with Henry standing right there. Though she wasn't all that surprised. She knew the kind of person Peter was and it certainly wasn't true love material.

"Oh my gosh! Are you okay?" A feminine voice suddenly exclaimed in alarm. Tinkerbell looked over to see a red-headed female with a light blue fish tail and wearing a purple bikini top sitting beside her. There was a light purple satchel hanging at her side.

Tinkerbell didn't recognize the girl from any meetings before but she figured this had to be the Ariel that had gone to get Pandora's box for Rumple and Regina. There weren't too many friendly mermaids on Neverland.

"I'm fine," Tinkerbell stated with visible agitation.

"Oh, thank goodness," Ariel sighed with relief, clasping her hands to her chest. "I saw you jump off that cliff and I got worried, so I swam over and rescued you. I do that, you know. Save people. It's kind of a hobby of mine." The red-head grinned and shrugged before her expression turned serious again. "But that was so dangerous what you did! You could have gotten seriously hurt! What were you thinking?"

"I didn't jump off that cliff," Tinkerbell growled, carefully trying to keep from snapping at the red-head. "I was thrown off."

Ariel gasped dramatically, placing her hands over her mouth in shock as her eyes widened. "What? Why? Who would do such a thing?"

Tinkerbell's eyes were glinting with anger as she looked at the mermaid. The look wasn't directed towards the other girl, the fairy just couldn't help but get worked up at the very mention of the demon right then.

"You're Ariel, right?" Tinkerbell asked, ignoring the girl's questions.

The red-head nodded.

"You have something I need," the fairy continued, staring at the girl hard. "That box. Give it to me."

Ariel's eyes widened in surprise at the sudden demand.

"I can't do that," she responded, confused the blonde would even ask. "I have to give this to Rumplestiltskin and Regina. The red-head clutched onto the light purple satchel protectively, eyeing the fairy warily.

"I'm with their group. If you give me the box, I'll make sure it gets to them," Tinkerbell responded, holding her hand out.

Ariel shook her head determinedly, her eyes narrowing. "No. I have to give this to them myself so I can have legs. Besides, if you guys really are together, then it shouldn't matter to you if I give the box to them."

"I understand about your legs," Tinkerbell began, trying to keep her voice from sounding too impatient. "I need that box though because they won't know how to use it properly. I need it to defeat Pan. He's the one that threw me over that cliff."

Ariel gasped again, placing her hand over her mouth once more. "Why would a pan do such a thing?"

Tinkerbell's eyebrows knit together in confusion before shaking her head slightly. "What? No. I meant, Peter Pan. The ruler of Neverland?"

"Oh, right!" Ariel suddenly exclaimed bobbing her head up and down in understanding. She was silent for a moment before shaking her head and giving the blonde a quizzical look. "Wait. Who?"

Tinkerbell just stared at the girl in bewilderment. How could the mermaid not know who Peter Pan was? All mermaids lived around Neverland, didn't they? Didn't Rumple and Regina mention the villain to her?

"He's the one that controls this island and is holding that boy, Henry, hostage from his family," the fairy responded, trying desperately to understand how Ariel didn't know any of this.

"Oh!" Ariel exclaimed, her eyes suddenly widening with understanding. "He's the one those people are trying to defeat with this evil box thing!"

Tinkerbell nodded her head, still looking slightly perplexed. "Right. That's why I need that box, so I can defeat Peter Pan and get Henry back to his family."

Ariel was nodding her head absent-mindedly. "You know what I don't understand?" She suddenly asked, looking at the blonde with a bit of confusion.

"... What?" Tinkerbell asked hesitantly. Working with this mermaid was proving much more difficult than she had initially anticipated.

"Why would Peter Pan even take that boy from his family? I mean, isn't this whole island full of boys?" Ariel snorted, shaking her head a little. "You'd think he would steal a beautiful woman instead."

Tinkerbell stared at the mermaid for a moment. She was beginning to feel a headache coming on. She needed to get that box and get out of there before Pan showed up like he usually did.

"Listen," the fairy began more gently, locking eyes with Ariel. "I really need that box. I'll make sure you get your legs just, please, give me it."

For a moment, Tinkerbell thought the red-head might actually hand it over. The look on the mermaid's face was clearly torn by the fairy's sincere request. She quickly shook her head though, her eyes growing apologetic but determined.

"I'm sorry but I can't do that." Ariel pushed herself towards the water's edge when a hand suddenly shot out and grabbed her by the wrist.

"Wait," Tinkerbell pleaded. Ariel reluctantly looked back at the fairy, guilt lacing her expression. "I REALLY need that box. Without it, we have no hope of getting Henry back to his family. We're all on the same side here but they won't be able to defeat him by themselves. I know I can capture Pan with that if you'll just give it to me."

Ariel was quiet for a minute, studying the blonde's eyes.

"I understand your concern," the mermaid finally replied sadly, "but his family sent me to get this box and bring it to them. That boy isn't the only one that needs rescuing. There's a girl that's been trapped here for a very long time as well. Her brothers are really worried about her and I need to get this box to Rumple and Regina so they can rescue her too."

Tinkerbell scrunched her eyebrows in confusion. "What girl?"

"I think her name is Wendy?" Ariel replied with uncertainty. Tinkerbell's eyes widened in surprise. "There's no telling what they've done to her. I must say, this group of boys sounds horrendous! Kidnapping children and whatnot." Ariel shook her head shamefully.

Tinkerbell was quiet for a long moment. So, the family thought Wendy was an unwilling participant in all of this as well. She certainly didn't look very much like a hostage when the fairy last saw her though. Wendy acted more like an aide to Pan's games than an adversary. Tinkerbell remembered the fairy dust incident and suddenly had an idea occur to her.

"I'm afraid the boy's family is going to run into a bit of trouble when they find him," she hedged, locking gazes with Ariel once more. "The boy thinks that demon is his true love and the girl has fairy dust to back them up. Pan would only allow Henry to leave Neverland if he wanted to and, I assure you, he does not. The family won't be able to take Henry away from the island without Pan's consent and no box is going to give them that."

"Wait... So, Henry is Peter Pan's..." Ariel trailed off her eyes widening with a mixture of shock and, much to Tinkerbell's annoyance, joy. The mermaid put her hands on her cheeks, a delighted smile forming on her face. "Why, that's wonderful! To find your true love at such a young age is fantastic! They'll be able to spend practically their whole lives together! It really is amazing!"

"No, it isn't," Tinkerbell interjected firmly. "They're not true loves."

Ariel wrinkled her brow in confusion, her hands slipping from her face. "But you said-"

"The fairy dust was wrong," Tinkerbell replied simply with a shrug. "The boy's strong belief that Pan is the one he's meant to be with confused the dust and gave us the answer he was merely hoping for. That demon is not his true love."

"How do you know?" Ariel asked a bit defensively. She may not have been the most intelligent creature of the sea but she did know a little something about love.

"Because a twelve year-old boy isn't old enough to know what he's talking about," Tinkerbell scoffed.

Ariel narrowed her eyes at the fairy. "That's not true. If he's old enough to know what true love is, then he's old enough to know if he's found it or not. If he truly believes that strongly that this Pan is the one he's destined to be with, then who's to say he's mistaken? How does Pan feel?"

"He doesn't," the blonde scoffed.

"Well, he must feel something for the boy," Ariel replied determinedly. "He wouldn't be keeping him here if he didn't."

Tinkerbell opened her mouth to respond but then immediately snapped it shut again. She reached into the brown satchel at her side and pulled out a small scrap of drying paper and a piece of charcoal. She scribbled out a messy drawing and then handed the paper to the mermaid.

"This is a map to the Lost Boys' camp where Henry and Wendy are being held. Follow it once you get your legs and see for yourself what kind of person Peter Pan truly is." Tinkerbell held Ariel's wide-eyed gaze for a moment. "When you see him, tell him Tinkerbell says hello... and to rot in hell."

/

Wendy stood beside the campfire the next afternoon, frying pan in hand with some sort of egg and meat concoction simmering in it. Peter and Felix had left early that morning after Henry had woken up and had yet to return, so Wendy took it upon herself to make lunch for the Lost Boys. However, she wasn't exactly the best of cooks.

"Alright," she stated after a few moments, poking at the dark brown, hardened, crust with a stick. "I think this is about ready."

She tilted the frying pan upside down over the plate of the young boy sitting beside her but nothing came out. Wendy held the frying pan up to her face to inspect the food, squinting her eyes in annoyance. She held the pan over the boy's plate once again, shaking it several times before finally resorting to scraping it out with the stick. Chunks of blackened pieces of egg, meat and other random ingredients none of the boys were too sure about fell onto the Lost Boy's plate with loud pings.

The boy stared at his plate with wide eyes, holding it some distance away to keep the smell of burnt flesh from overwhelming him. He swallowed nervously and glanced around the circle at the other Lost Boys seated around the fire. They were all staring at him with big eyes. A few shook their heads at him slightly, warning him not to even touch the material.

Wendy's bright blue eyes were suddenly in his face as the boy gasped a little and flinched away from the girl. "Well?" She asked, motioning towards the plate. "Are you going to try some or what?"

The boy glanced down at the plate again. Smoke was rising from the blackened pieces of food while the dark brown ones were slowly begining to dissolve into mush. He looked back up at Wendy, his eyes filled with fear as he shook his head a little.

Wendy narrowed her eyes. "Fine," she said with forced pleasantry. "If you don't want it then give it to Max."

The older boy sitting directly beside the unfortunate plate wielding one stared at Wendy in surprise before cutting his eyes down to the other boy and then to the plate. He leaned away slightly, shaking his head when the plate was offered to him.

"When are Peter and Felix coming back?" One of the blondes from the other side of the campfire suddenly asked.

Wendy's head shot up to glare venomously at the boy.

"After we have lunch," she stated firmly.

"Well, then. I think I'll skip lunch today," the blonde responded with a slight smirk, easing himself up off the log he had been seated on.

"You sit your butt back down or I will MAKE you sit down!" Wendy shouted, pointing angrily with the frying pan at the boy.

The boy's eyes widened a bit with surprise at the girl's suddenly harsh tone. He just stood there staring at her for a moment before slowly easing back down onto the log.

"That's what I thought," Wendy stated, still glaring at the boy. "I know at least one person that will appreciate all my hard work. Give me your plate, Henry." She held her hand out to the brunette seated beside her, the stick tucked under her thumb.

Henry looked up with a blank expression at the girl, as if he hadn't been paying attention to the earlier scene. "What?" He asked, his eyes widening in surprise.

"You want some of the delicious food I made, don't you Henry?" Wendy crooned with a loving smile, holding the pan out towards Henry a little.

"His first meal with us shouldn't be his last," one of the older boys across the campfire scoffed.

Wendy whipped her head around to glare at the boy. She had brought Henry over to the campfire to eat with the other Lost Boys since Peter wasn't around to keep Henry all to himself. Wendy knew the younger boy needed friends outside of the ruler, even if Peter didn't agree.

She had plopped him down between herself and Brent, whom she was still slightly angry with for not warming up to her romantic dinner date the previous night. Brent and Felix hadn't said two words to each other and the date was suddenly cut short when Peter came out of his tree-stump home and was quite displeased to find his boys just standing about. When Wendy tried to explain the desperate situation to the older boy, he merely laughed, stating that Felix felt no such things for Brent or any of the Lost Boys for that matter. Wendy wanted to argue but Peter just continued to laugh, even wiping a tear from his eye at one point.

Wendy glanced over at Brent who was just gazing at the campfire absentmindedly. She narrowed her eyes. Now that she thought about it, Felix might not have been in love with him after all. She never actually saw them talking together or even really around each other. That didn't mean Felix wasn't madly in love with somebody though. Wendy knew burning sexual frustration when she saw it and Felix was practically as burnt as the omelet she had made.

Wendy looked down at the frying pan thoughtfully for a moment when there was a sudden rustling noise from the bushes on the other side of the clearing. Everyone turned just in time to see a girl stumble out of the woods and land on all fours by the edge of the camp. She looked up with wide eyes, her red hair glinting in the fire light.

Wendy and the boys just stared at the girl for a moment before Wendy suddenly let out a gasp of horror and dropped the frying pan to the ground. She rushed over to the girl, standing in front of her in order to shield her from the Lost Boys' view.

"You're practically naked!" Wendy exclaimed in a hushed, yet alarmed, voice so the boys wouldn't hear. The girl had been mortified to see the red-head was running around in little more than a bikini top and a scantily ripped up skirt. They were on an island of teenage boys and young men! What was this girl thinking?!

The red-head blinked up at the girl a few times before sitting back on her knees. "Hey. Could you tell me where I can find a boy named Henry and a girl named Wendy?"

Wendy's eyebrows knit together in confusion. "I'm Wendy," she stated a bit suspiciously, deciding not to mention Henry just yet. "Why? Who are you?"

The red-head's eyes widened with surprise as she stared up at the girl.

"You're Wendy?" She asked in awe.

Wendy eyed the girl. "Yes," she responded, still suspicious. "Who are you?"

"Why, I'm Ariel," the red-head stated with happiness, getting to her feet a bit awkwardly and then suddenly clasping onto Wendy's hands. The brunette's eyes widened with surprise as they locked with the other girl's joyful ones.

"Do I know you?" Wendy asked, feeling very confused by the red-head's display.

Ariel shook her head, still smiling at Wendy. "No but I'm here to rescue you. And Henry, wherever he is."

Wendy leaned slightly back away from the girl, a quizzical expression on her face. "What?"

Ariel nodded her head. "Yeah! See, Rumplestiltskin and Regina told me they were looking for a boy named Henry that had been kidnapped from them and the rest of his family. Then, this blonde woman, I think her name was Tinkerbell, told me you had been kidnapped as well many years ago and were being held as a hostage here. She was so nice too. I mean, she was a little bossy at times but she was really sweet and I totally rescued her too. Just like I'm rescuing you guys! Saving people is kind of a hobby of mine." She grinned and shrugged.

Wendy just stared at the girl in disbelief as Ariel glanced over at the Lost Boys. She gasped suddenly before narrowing her eyes at Wendy and then dropping her voice down to a whisper. "We have to be quiet though or the pan will hear us."

Wendy crinkled her eyebrows in confusion, unsure if Ariel was referring to Peter or to the frying pan by the fire. She couldn't understand why the red-head would be talking about a frying pan though.

"Where's Henry?" Ariel whispered determinedly.

"Wait, wait," Wendy said, pulling her hands from the girl's grasp and holding them up in front of her. She shook her head a bit, trying to process what the red-head was saying. "Regina and Rumple sent you here to rescue Henry?"

Ariel shook her head before shrugging sheepishly. "Actually, they sent me to Storybrooke to get a box that would help defeat Pan. Which I did get! Then, when I came back here, I found that blonde woman in the ocean and pulled her onto shore. She asked me to give her the box instead but I told her I couldn't do that because I needed to give the box to Rumple and Regina so I could have legs. I'm a mermaid but I need legs so I can find Eric someday. He's my true love." At this, Ariel clutched her hands to her chest in emotion. "After telling me about you, Tinkerbell gave me a map to where you and Henry were so I could find you guys once I got my legs. I assumed that meant I was supposed to rescue you, so here I am! I'm really proud of myself too for only getting lost three times."

Wendy stared at the girl dumbfounded for a moment when her eyes suddenly began to narrow. She was relieved the fairy was okay but she couldn't understand why Tinkerbell sent this... "mermaid" to help them. Did she think this girl would be able to get Henry away from Peter? And why had the fairy mentioned Wendy to her? In hopes that she would be more willing to rescue two people instead of just one? It didn't make any sense.

What really didn't make any sense to Wendy was this box Ariel mentioned. A box that would defeat Peter? That certainly didn't sound good! Henry's family must be getting desperate, she thought with a bit of sadness.

Wendy had hoped the family would wander around the forest until Henry could explain to Peter that it didn't have to be either or. Then he and Peter could talk to his family together and work out some sort of compromise. That had been Wendy's plan at least. It didn't appear that Henry's family was in any mood to negotiate love though. They just wanted Peter out of the way and their son back. Wendy almost shook her head with exasperation. The family was just as bad as Peter at being so possessive of the boy.

Wendy's expression had turned serious as she stared at the mermaid. "What is this box exactly?"

Ariel shrugged, her gaze apologetic. "I really don't know. Belle, that's the girl that helped me find the box, said it was a powerful evil that could trap Pan." Ariel paused, tilting her head in thought when her eyes suddenly widened. "That reminds me! Your brothers! They're looking for you!"

Wendy's eyes widened with surprise. "John and Michael?"

Ariel nodded her head. "Yes. They told us they were looking for you after they tied us up and held guns to our heads."

Wendy's eyebrows knit together in confusion but she decided not to ask. "I haven't seen them for a few years now. They must be very worried." She looked off to the side, concern filling her eyes at the thought of the two boys fearing the worst for their older sister. Wendy remembered Peter telling her the boys were in Storybrooke but she decided to stay in Neverland for the time being until she could make things right with Henry and everyone he cared about. Her brothers weren't children anymore and, if they were old enough to be carrying guns around, than they were old enough to take care of themselves for the time being. Part of her wanted to tell Ariel to go back to Storybrooke and tell the boys that she was alright but she knew there wasn't enough time for that. John and Michael would just have to hold out hope for a little while longer that their big sister could take care of herself. That gave Wendy an idea.

Wendy gave Ariel a determined look, staring the red-head straight in the eyes. "Go back to Henry's family and tell them he's okay. Tell them we're both okay and there's no need to worry or act rash. If worst comes to worst, show them that map and tell them that's where we are. Lead them here if you must. I would like at least a couple more days to... get things sorted out here." Wendy glanced over her shoulder at Henry who was watching them curiously before looking back at the girl. "If it's either get Peter killed or let Henry's family see him, I think the choice is obvious."

"Where is Henry?" Ariel asked with a bit of concern. "I can't go back to his family until I see him."

Wendy looked at the red-head for a moment, determination glinting in the mermaid's eyes. Finally, Wendy motioned to the side at the Lost Boys still seated by the campfire. "Henry is the one in the red."

Ariel leaned to the side a little in order to see past the girl before stepping around her and walking over to the group. She was still a little unsteady on her legs but she did manage to not trip and fall. Ariel glanced around the group of boys before her eyes came to rest on a younger one in red with porcelain skin and chubby cheeks. His wide, brown eyes were like that of a deer and Ariel had to resist the urge to squeal. She felt her heart swell with affection at the cute little thing as she placed her hands on her cheeks in delight. This MUST be Henry.

Ariel threw herself at the boy, wrapping her arms around his neck and squeezing him against her chest. He was just so cute! She could see why that Pan would want to kidnap him and keep him forever. She was actually tempted to steal the boy away herself. Henry could be her and Eric's first child. Oh, they would be such a cute family!

No, Ariel suddenly scolded herself, pulling away from the boy a little to narrow her eyes in annoyance for getting distracted so easily. She had to return the boy to his family. His REAL family. There would be plenty of time for her and Eric to have their own child in the future once she found him.

Henry eyed the girl with confusion. He was a little surprised to have the red-head hug him so tightly but he had gotten used to Wendy's attentions and figured some people were just more affectionate than others. He thought the girl looked familiar but he wasn't quite sure where to place her.

"You're Henry, right?" the red-head asked, keeping her hands locked on his shoulders so she could stare into his eyes determinedly.

Henry nodded. "Yes. Who are you?"

"I'm Ariel. I'm here to rescue you and Wendy," the girl responded valiantly.

Henry's eyes widened with surprise. Ariel? The little mermaid from that movie? Actually, looking at the girl now, it was pretty obvious. Henry was a little ashamed he hadn't noticed sooner. Why was Ariel even there though? And how did she manage to get legs?

"Rescue us?" Henry asked with confusion.

Ariel nodded. "Yes. Your family sent me." She paused for a moment. "Well, actually, they sent me to do something else but I finished that. Now, I'm here to rescue you."

His family? Henry immediately felt a sharp pain go through his chest. He looked away, his eyes filling with guilt. He knew he needed to see his family. At least to tell them he was alright and they didn't need to be so concerned about him. He was worried they wouldn't listen to him though, that they would just grab him and leave and Henry didn't want to leave. Not yet anyway.

Henry met Ariel's gaze, an apology in his eyes. "I can't go with you."

Ariel's eyes widened in surprise before she tilted her head curiously and her brows knit together in confusion.

"I do miss my family," Henry quickly assured her, taking her hands off his shoulders and holding them in his lap. "I really do want to see them... but I also want to stay here. At least for a little longer."

Ariel studied the boy's face, thoroughly puzzled. "But why?"

Henry turned his head away for a moment. When he looked back at the red-head, the smile on his face and the look in his eyes was soft as he shrugged a little and murmured, "I don't really know."

Ariel's eyes widened at the look she had seen on her own face in the mirror many a time whenever she thought of Eric. She suddenly remembered what Tinkerbell had said. That Henry believed so firmly that Pan was his true love even though Henry was so young.

Ariel studied the boy's eyes for a moment before smiling softly back at him.

"You know," Ariel began quietly, "I once pulled a man out of the sea when he fell overboard off his ship. I was only with him for a short time but I remember seeing him and just... knowing. I couldn't talk to him then because, well, I was a mermaid and what man would fall in love with a girl who was part fish? So, I left without ever really saying anything to him. I met him officially a long time after that at a ball. He was better than I could have ever imagined. He was so kind and talked of adventurous voyages across the sea. He begged me to go with him but..." Ariel looked down at her legs with a sad smile. "... my legs weren't quite as permanent back then. So, I left him again. I was always too scared to tell him what I really was and, when I finally did work up the courage to tell him, my voice was gone."

Henry watched the girl with just as much sadness, squeezing her hands a little to comfort her. Ariel smiled at him.

"Everyone always told me how stupid I was," she continued with a small laugh. "Falling for a man I had only ever had one real conversation with. Then I met this friend that completely understood what I felt. She showed me that true love doesn't understand time the way we do. You can't control who you fall in love with or how hard or how fast you fall. It doesn't matter what anyone else says. You know how you feel and that's what's important. I know he and I will find each other again because true love always does. And, when we do, I'm going to tell him everything. No secrets this time. True love always accepts someone just the way they are."

Ariel just smiled wistfully at the boy for a moment before knitting her eyebrows together in confusion and shaking her head a little. "I was going somewhere with that but I can't remember where."

Henry chuckled to himself, shaking his head a bit as well.

"That's alright," he said after a moment, smiling at the girl again. "That was a beautiful story."

Ariel tilted her head a little and studied the boy again. "I know what it's like to not be able to be with the person you love but don't lose hope. True love always finds a way. You just have to believe." She squeezed the boy's hands as she smiled at him.

Suddenly, footsteps could be heard directly beside the two and the bushes close to them began to rustle.

"My, my, my. And who might this be?" A voice asked tauntingly as a figure waltzed casually out of the bushes, his eyes locking instantly onto the red-head, a deceptively pleasant smirk on his lips.

Ariel was a bit surprised to see the painfully attractive boy clad in green attire. Of course, he didn't come close to her Eric but he was rather cute.

Another figure appeared right behind the first one. He was a bit taller than the first boy with a dark cloak hanging over his head so the mermaid couldn't see his face. The first boy had stopped in front of Ariel and Henry, his eyes narrowing but the smirk holding firmly in place. The second male had gone around the group of boys and stood off to the side a bit behind three perched on a log.

Ariel glanced over at the cloaked figure before looking back up at the first boy. She forced a nervous smile. "I'm Ariel. I'm a mermaid. Who are you?"

The boy's smirk widened a bit as he continued to stare down at her. "Peter. Peter Pan. And I see you've met my... captives." He grinned at the word.

Ariel was suddenly getting a very bad feeling. Perhaps she shouldn't have come all the way there by herself. Tinkerbell had said something about this Peter Pan not being a good person. After all, wasn't he the one that threw her over the edge of that cliff? Ariel might not have been the most perceptive thing but there was definitely something dangerous about this boy.

"I was just talking to Henry," Ariel stated with a bit of force. She was not going to let herself be bullied by some boy no matter how scary he was.

"So, I see," Peter responded with an innocent raise of an eyebrow, pointedly looking down at Ariel and Henry's hands still clasped together.

Ariel followed the boy's gaze until she noticed their hands. Was that what Pan was upset about? Was there some unspoken rule against touching Henry the mermaid was unaware of? Ariel took her hands back and then raised a quizzical eyebrow up at the other boy.

"You know, I'm truly glad that you feel so comfortable here," Peter began with that same innocent smirk, leaning down with his hands on his knees so he could look Ariel in the eyes more evenly. "And I understand that you're not fully aware of what you're doing half the time." Ariel's mouth dropped open a little in offense. "However, I'm going to have to ask you to refrain from being quite so friendly with my captive." Ariel didn't miss the way Peter hissed the word "friendly," his eyes narrowing venomously.

So it WAS an unspoken rule, Ariel thought to herself, a small hint of fear beginning to bubble up in her stomach. Henry was so adorable, she could kind of understand Pan's possession of the younger boy. Certainly he had to realize that he couldn't keep the cute little thing completely to himself though.

Peter's eyes suddenly locked onto Ariel's hands in her lap. In a sudden flash, Peter grabbed Ariel's wrist and jerked it towards him, pulling the mermaid off her seat with the force of the movement. Ariel let out a surprised squeak as Peter's face was suddenly in hers.

"Is this a new bracelet?" He asked pleasantly, a thrilled grin on his face as his eyes bored into Ariel's.

Ariel just stared at him with wide eyes. She knew he was referring to the band Regina had given her that would give the mermaid legs whenever she wanted. Worry began fluttering in Ariel's stomach at the sudden thought that the boy might try to take the bracelet from her.

"It's quite lovely. It matches your hair perfectly," was all he breathed out before releasing his grip on the girl's hand and watching her fall back onto her seat, almost tipping over backwards. A wicked smirk crossed Peter's face as he straightened up in order to loom over Ariel once more. "It would be such a shame if something were to happen to it," he stated darkly.

Ariel gripped onto the bracelet around her wrist with her other hand, the fear in her eyes only slightly evident behind the fierce glare, as if daring him to try. She wondered if this was what Tinkerbell had meant when she had told Ariel to go to the Lost Boys' camp and see for herself what Pan was really like. He had such a threatening air about him but also a playful one, like his threats might possibly just be teasing but, then again, maybe not. It was quite confusing to the mermaid and she wondered which side of him was the real Peter Pan.

"Peter," a voice suddenly scolded from beside Ariel. She looked over to see the cute little chubby cheeked boy looking up at Pan with narrowed eyes. Ariel was a bit surprised by the young boy's bravery in the face of one so vicious. She looked back up at Pan and was even more surprised to see his expression softening a little as he gazed at the boy.

"Why are you always so mean to my friends?" Henry asked.

"Friends?" Peter scoffed, his eyebrows raising as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Ariel isn't your friend, Henry. She only came here to get legs so she could run off with some wealthy prince." Peter's expression was one of sincerity as he looked at the boy.

Ariel gasped, opening her mouth to give a biting response when Henry's annoyed voice quickly cut in. "That's not true. She loves him. She just needed her legs so she could find him again."

"Yes, because he's a prince," Peter responded, meeting Henry's glare head on. Peter knew his accusations of the mermaid were harsh and more than likely untrue but he couldn't understand why these annoying females were able to develop such strong connections with Henry almost instantly while Peter still hung on this wire of not knowing if Henry hated him or just disliked him. It infuriated the Neverland ruler to no end. Couldn't Henry see how much Peter felt for him?

"She didn't know he was a prince when they first met," Henry argued, feeling aggravated by Peter's insistence that Ariel was just after Eric's money. He saw the look on her face when she talked about Eric. That wasn't something anyone could fake. "You're practically saying anyone with a lot of money can't truly be in love."

"That's not what I was saying," Peter responded evenly, feeling his irritation rising as well. "I just meant that it's a little odd that a woman would go to such extreme measures just to hunt down a man she had but one conversation with. What other explanation could there possibly be?"

Henry held Peter's gaze firmly, his eyes flashing with anger as he spoke, enunciating each word venomously. "Love you can't have any other way makes some people do crazy things."

Peter just stood there, taken aback by Henry's words that were clearly directed at him. His eyebrows knit together in confusion as the younger boy got to his feet and marched over to the other side of the clearing.

Wendy had been frozen in her spot watching everything unfold. As Henry drew closer, she held her hand out as if to pull him to her but he jerked away from her touch and crashed through the bushes into the forest. Wendy placed her hands up to her chest with sadness, looking back over at where Peter still stood. She narrowed her eyes at him before turning and heading off after Henry.

There was suddenly a deadly silence that befell the camp as all eyes locked on the Neverland ruler to see what he would do. The Lost Boys were frozen in place, barely breathing because of the tension that lay so heavy in the air.

Peter clenched and unclenched his fists, his jaw setting hard as he stared at the bushes Henry had left through. He was almost shaking with pint-up fury. Finally, he dropped his gaze onto Ariel and spoke in a deadly growl. "Leave."

Ariel blinked a couple of times, her eyes wide as she stared up at the boy. "What?" She asked, not really hearing Peter's command.

"LEAVE!" He roared right in the red-head's face. She flinched and turned away with a sudden squeak, fearing the boy might hit her. The Lost Boys stared at Peter in shock, some of their mouths even dropping open. They had never seen their leader yell like that at anyone.

Ariel hedged a glance up at Peter, her eyes wide with fear. The boy's face was burning red with rage, his fists clenched and his eyes murderous as they stared into hers.

Ariel swallowed fearfully as she scrambled to her feet and quickly made her way over to the trees lining the edge of the clearing. Being out of the boy's reach must've made the girl feel braver because she stopped suddenly in front of the bushes and turned back around to give Peter a hard stare.

"By the way, Tinkerbell told me to tell you hello. And to rot in hell. Whatever that means." She whipped back around and proudly strode off into the woods.

The Lost Boys just watched as Peter stormed over to his tree-stump lodging, swinging the door open and then slamming it so hard behind him it cracked right down the middle, warping inwards at the force.

/

NOTE:

Hello! Author here!

I usually don't make notes but I felt I should apologize for taking an extra week to write this chapter. I actually had Chapter Four written last Sunday but it was very Felix heavy and I didn't think that fit with the story itself, so I completely rewrote it. Again, I'm so sorry but thank you all so much for reading and commenting!

Which reminds me! I know I never respond but I DO read every one of your comments and most of them brighten my entire week! You're all just so sweet and your words are so encouraging to me! Thank you again for reading!

Much Love, Kisa Heart


	5. True Love or Stubbornness

It was almost evening by the time Wendy made her way back to the Lost Boys' camp. When she stepped through the bushes into the clearing, she was alone except for Felix who was sitting on one of the logs by the campfire whittling away at a small piece of wood. Wendy walked over to him and sat down with a heavy sigh.

"How's the boy?" Felix asked with an easy drawl, not looking up from his work.

"Okay, I guess. He's just sitting beside the river. I told him to come back to camp since it was going to be dark soon but he refused. He said he would stay out there all night." Wendy sighed again, her eyebrows knitting together with a small bit of frustration as she crossed her arms over her chest. "He's just as stubborn as Peter."

Felix smirked a little at the comparison.

Wendy looked around the camp, suddenly realizing how quiet it was. The door to Peter's house was still warped inwards, so she figured the ruler was still in there silently seething.

"Where is everyone?" Wendy asked after a moment with confusion.

"I sent the boys out to patrol the island and do a bit of hunting," Felix responded, still not looking up.

"Oh," Wendy replied simply.

The two just sat in silence for a couple of minutes as Felix continued to work on the small piece of wood and Wendy just gazed at the low burning campfire.

"Is Peter always like this?" Wendy finally asked, looking over at the blonde.

Felix quirked his lips a little. "Not usually."

"So, it's just Henry that makes him go completely insane," Wendy suggested, rolling her eyes with annoyance at the thought of the ruler's earlier behavior.

"He doesn't know how to handle jealousy very well," Felix continued, still smirking.

Wendy stared at the blonde for a moment, confusion filling her eyes, before looking around the clearing again. Jealousy? The girl wondered to herself. What did Peter have to be jealous over? Henry liked HIM, not Ariel. Didn't the ruler know that?

Wendy narrowed her eyes at Peter's tree-stump lodge. "Is he still in there?" She asked, her voice sounding a bit harsh.

Felix nodded once.

Wendy got to her feet, deciding she needed to have a word with the childish boy about his behavior. She took one step when a voice came from behind her.

"I wouldn't do that," Felix warned, a hint of humor in his voice.

Wendy stood there for a moment, staring at Peter's house and trying to decide if she should take Felix's words seriously or not. She took another step forward but stopped again when she heard the amused snicker behind her.

"Speaking of stubborn," Felix remarked, still whittling on the piece of wood.

Wendy tensed angrily and turned on her heels, storming back over to the older boy with a snarl on her face.

"You know what? You're not even doing anything!" She shouted, standing over him and then motioning dramatically. "You're just sitting there while Henry is out there in the woods probably getting mauled by lions or- or tigers or bears!"

"Oh, my," Felix cut in with amusement, not looking up.

"And Peter's in there acting like a spoiled little brat because Henry was actually having a decent conversation with somebody! And Ariel's out there probably falling off a cliff because she can't follow a simple map! And Henry's family is who knows where worrying sick over him because you and Peter won't tell us anything about them or them anything about him! And you two just run off who knows where doing who knows what all day long and expect us to all just sit around not suspecting something fishy's going on! I have news for you, Mister. I have eyes in the back of my head and you can't pull something like THAT and expect me to just sit back whittling away on a piece of wood!"

Wendy suddenly snatched the carving out of Felix's hand and chunked it across the clearing in anger. She just stood there seething for a few moments, her heavy breathing beginning to slow as she felt her rage slipping away. She suddenly realized what she had just done and felt her eyes widen with surprise at her outburst.

She quickly walked over to where the small piece of wood had landed, picked it up and brought it back, her cheeks burning with embarrassment as she dropped it into Felix's hand.

"Sorry," she mumbled, sitting back down beside Felix and placing her chin in her hands. She angled herself so that she was purposely turned away from the boy.

Felix looked down at the wood for a moment before smirking a little in amusement at how similar Wendy and Peter's behavior was at times. Perhaps that was why the two of them couldn't seem to get along. Being too much alike wasn't good and opposites attracted, after all.

The other Lost Boys might not have ever witnessed an angry outburst from Peter but Felix had many a time. There was just something about Felix that made him an easy person to vent to. It was probably because he was so quiet and always seemed to be hyper aware of what was going on.

"Better?" Felix asked after a moment, raising an eyebrow at the girl.

Wendy nodded her head a little, keeping her face turned away from the blonde so he couldn't see her expression.

Felix began working on the piece of wood again, waiting patiently for the girl to get over her embarrassment and speak.

"It's just been a bad day," Wendy mumbled after a few minutes, not turning around. "I'm sorry I yelled at you."

Felix smirked as he turned the almost finished carving around in his hand, inspecting it.

"Lost Boys don't apologize," he stated casually.

"Well, they should," Wendy responded stubbornly. "Especially when they know they've done something wrong." She paused for a moment. "I'm sorry about last night too. I know you don't like Brent."

Felix was quiet for a moment as he made a few minor adjustments to the carving.

"Brent is a little too timid for my liking," he drawled.

"I know you like Peter," Wendy sighed unhappily.

Felix's eyebrow cocked a little with disbelief as his nose wrinkled ever so slightly. He continued scraping at a few more flaws on the wood before speaking. "Now, who said I liked Peter?"

Wendy sighed again in exasperation, finally looking over at the blonde, her hands dropping into her lap. "You don't have to pretend. I can feel the sexual tension between you two."

Felix smirked, not looking at the girl. "Just like you could feel the sexual tension between me and Brent?"

Wendy narrowed her eyes at him. "That was different. You actually talk to Peter."

"I'm talking to you as well," Felix remarked in amusement, looking over at the girl with a quirked eyebrow. "Does that mean we have sexual tension too?"

Wendy's expression suddenly went blank as the thought hit her. Wendy had just assumed Felix was gay. All the Lost Boys were gay, weren't they? Why else would so many young men live on an island together? It was only natural that they would fall for each other. Wendy's eyebrows knit together in confusion as she stared at the campfire.

Felix chuckled a little as he got to his feet beside the girl. He placed the little carving on top of Wendy's head, the girl's eyes widening with surprise, as Felix walked over to the other side of the clearing, twirling his knife in his hand and disappearing through the bushes.

Wendy stared after him for a few moments before finally reaching up to pluck the piece of wood from off her head. It was a carving of a little oak tree no more than two inches tall that balanced perfectly in the palm of Wendy's hand. The details of it were so stunning. To say the girl was shocked would be an understatement. She had no idea Felix was such a craftsman. Then again, Wendy didn't know much about Felix at all.

She frowned for a second before smiling softly at the little carving and then gently dropping it into the brown satchel at her side

/

Felix found Henry exactly where Wendy had left him. The young boy was seated beside the quiet river that flowed through Neverland, his knees pulled up to his chest with his arms wrapped around them and his chin resting on top. Henry was the absolute epitome of sulking. And here Felix thought only Peter could pull off that look.

Felix approached the boy and eased himself down beside him with one leg stretched out towards the water's edge. Henry didn't even look at the older boy as he stared out across the river at the dark forest shrouded in mist. The two were silent for a long time before Henry finally spoke.

"I'm not going back if that's what you're here for," he muttered stubbornly.

Felix smirked a little, looking out across the river. "Quite the contrary, actually. I came here to stay with you."

Henry's gaze saddened a little as it dropped onto the water's quiet ripples. He had secretly hoped that Peter had sent Felix to fetch him, the ruler refusing to allow the boy to stay out in the woods all night no matter how angry they were at each other. It appeared Felix had come of his own accord though.

The two were silent again for a few minutes until Henry spoke once more. "Why is Peter always so mean to everyone?"

Felix chuckled a little. "Oh, he just doesn't know how to handle things not going his way."

"But he was so mean to Ariel and she was just trying to help," Henry continued, knitting his eyebrows together as he looked at the blonde. "We were just talking."

"About leaving," Felix tacked on, meeting the boy's gaze.

"I wasn't going to go with her though," Henry stated almost with a scoff. "And I told her that. I told her I wanted to stay here, at least for a little longer."

"And why would you want to do that?" Felix drawled, raising an eyebrow at the boy.

Henry's cheeks flushed a little as he looked back towards the river and shrugged. "I don't know. It's exciting here. It's different from my old home."

Felix smirked as he turned back to the river as well. "No, really. Why do you want to be here?"

Henry didn't say anything for a long minute as he continued to stare across the water's smooth surface. He finally let out a small sigh.

"When that man and woman first brought me here, I was really angry. Then, when the Lost Boys attacked us, I got really scared and ran. I didn't know what was going on. Finding Peter out there in the woods was such a relief. It felt like fate in a way. I saw him and I just knew that we were supposed to meet. When he finally told me who he was, I got upset at first but then I was just curious. He wanted me so badly he would hire strangers to bring me here? Why? There's nothing really special about me. My mom's the one that's the savior. He kept saying that he had been waiting centuries just for me with nothing to hold onto except that piece of paper and a promise. It made me feel..."

Henry trailed off, not wanting to say what suddenly passed through his mind. That those words had made him feel incredible. Had made his heart skip and his breath catch. To have someone like Peter say that he had been waiting lifetimes for someone like Henry was... unreal. It felt like something that would only happen in a fairy tale. Henry smiled a little to himself at the thought.

Felix looked over at Henry as he continued.

"In my world, they have stories telling of Peter Pan but that Peter is a lot different than this one. I like this one better," Henry admitted with a bashful flush of his cheeks. "When I was little, I loved the story of Peter Pan. I sometimes wished he would burst through my window at night and whisk me away to Neverland. Not with the other Lost Boys though, just him. It's silly, I know." Henry smiled sheepishly, looking down at his feet.

For the briefest of moments, Felix suddenly knew why those girls always wanted to hug Henry. That cuteness they would squeal about before squeezing him tightly, Felix could see it then. He easily resisted that urge, of course, but he could see what the fuss was about. The innocence of the boy was endearing and, shamefully, adorable. Felix felt disgusted with himself for even thinking such a word. Peter wasn't the only one going soft on the boy.

"I like this Peter a lot," Henry continued, his voice growing softer. "He's so childish but so... serious at the same time. Everything about him is just so crazy. I love my family and I do want to see them. I want to explain to them that Peter isn't as bad as they think he is. His intentions are good, he just goes about them the wrong way. I know he can learn to be a better person if he just believes in himself. Love can transform any heart and I think everybody deserves a happy ending. Even villains. My mom was a villain too but she's trying now. She really is and I can tell she's getting better. Just like I know Peter will too." Henry's eyes were filled with such a soft, yet determined, expression that even Felix felt like believing in his words.

Felix smirked a bit and turned his head, cutting his eyes off to the side and then upwards towards the tree branches directly above them. He wished he could see his expression. The shock that would surely be there. Possibly even a hint of remorse at his behavior.

Felix and Henry had never been alone. Actually, the better phrasing would be that HENRY had never been alone. Felix knew that, as soon as Peter had locked himself away in his tree-stump lodge, he had vanished. Despite the ruler's fury, his concern for Henry always outweighed any other emotion.

Peter had tailed the younger boy and Wendy silently, slipping easily through the tree branches. He had witnessed the way the girl talked to Henry soothingly, trying to reassure him that everything would be alright. Henry wouldn't hear any of it though. He even snapped at one point, yelling at Wendy to just leave him be. Peter had smirked a little at that. Seemed the girls weren't completely immune to Henry's annoyance after all.

Wendy had frowned as the boy sat himself down beside the river with his knees pulled up to his chest, angry tears beginning to spill down his cheeks. It took everything in Peter not to fly from those branches and pull Henry to him. He would have apologized for everything and promised the boy all of Neverland, the Enchanted Forest and whatever else Henry's heart desired in that moment. Wendy was the first to move though, quietly making her way to Henry's side. She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder which he shrugged off stubbornly.

Wendy just stood there for a few moments as the boy sniffled, his tears already beginning to dry. Wendy begged him to come back with her to the camp once more but Henry, again, refused. He stated that he would remain out there all night if he had to. Reluctantly, the girl finally turned away and headed back towards the Lost Boys' camp, stopping a few times to look back at the boy with concern.

Peter considered approaching Henry then but he knew the boy was still upset. They would just end up getting into another confrontation and Peter didn't want that. Besides, he knew Felix would be down there soon to smooth things over with the younger boy. Felix was good like that. He always picked up the shattered pieces of the things Peter callously broke and put them back together.

Hearing the way Henry spoke of him now made Peter's heart flutter and his eyebrows knit together in confusion. How could Henry possibly feel so strongly about him? And not even in a negative way. An angel like Henry falling for a demon like Peter? It just didn't make any sense.

Felix turned his head back around to face the river, a tiny amused smirk on the blonde's lips. He knew Peter would be thinking too much about what the boy had said and decided it was about time they patched things up.

Felix placed his arm around Henry's shoulders and pulled the younger boy close to him. Henry smiled, cuddling into Felix's side gratefully. It was rather chilly that night and he felt much closer to the blonde after their conversation.

The quiet sound of feet hitting the ground behind them made Felix smirk even wider. It was so easy to get Peter to do what you wanted if you just knew how to play your cards right.

"Well, isn't this cozy," a voice remarked, sounding nonchalant.

Henry turned a little to look over at Peter in surprise. At first he felt a rush of happiness that the older boy had come out there looking for him but the feeling immediately disappeared when he remembered Peter's intense jealousy. Henry figured the only reason he had come out there at all was because Felix was with him. Peter couldn't stand anyone being with the younger boy. Even his best friend.

Henry's eyes narrowed stubbornly as he turned back around to face the river, his back to the Neverland ruler. Felix smirked with amusement and dropped his arm from Henry's shoulders. He eased up onto his feet and then walked over to Peter, stopping next to him briefly.

"Try not to screw this one up," Felix murmured quietly, a wide smirk on his lips as he casually headed off towards the Lost Boys' camp.

Peter glared at the blonde's back for a few moments before turning his head back around to gaze at Henry's. How could the younger boy be so relaxed and open around everyone else but then suddenly so tense with him? Hadn't he just been saying how much he liked Peter?

Peter flexed his fingers a bit at his sides before finally working up the nerve to walk over to Henry. He hesitantly eased down beside him, pulling his knees up and resting his arms on top of them as he gazed out across the river. For once in his life, Peter honestly didn't know what to say. The Lost Boys normally resolved conflicts by dueling it out on the battle field but Peter knew that wouldn't work for this situation. Matters of the heart had to be dealt with differently.

How had the others gotten Henry to open up to them so easily? Peter wondered, his eyebrows knitting together. They had told the younger boy stories of their pasts or allowed him to tell them a story. Maybe that was the secret. Stories always made things better, after all. Peter knew that especially well.

He glanced over at the younger boy's still pouting face and took a deep breath.

"You know, I don't think I ever told you how I came into possession of that piece of paper with your picture on it," Peter began with a sincere smile.

Henry didn't make any movement that he had heard.

Pain flashed through Peter's eyes only briefly as he looked back out at the river. "Well, it happened about three hundred and twenty-six years ago. I had gone to a small town in the Enchanted Forest to look for more Lost Boys when I encountered Rumplestiltskin leaning against a tree. Rumple and I have never exactly been on friendly terms, so neither one of us was too pleased to see the other. But he grinned at me and said what I was looking for was useless. He said he knew what I really wanted more than anything and that he could help me get it... for a price."

Henry was now watching Peter curiously as Peter turned a humorless smirk on him. "Only a demon can make a deal with the devil and get away unscathed. I was feeling a bit desperate at the time, so I asked him what it was exactly he thought I really wanted. He simply grinned and said, "Oh, what anyone else would want, dearie. Love.""

Henry's eyes widened at this as Peter looked back across the river, a bit of sadness filling his eyes.

"He said, "That's not something your little Lost Boys will ever be able to give you but I know someone that can and will. Someone that hasn't even been born yet and won't be for many years." Since time doesn't pass on Neverland, I wasn't concerned about how long it would take to meet this person. I would stay young forever, so it would just be a matter of waiting for whoever it was to be born and then to grow up enough. I asked Rumple who the person was and he merely held up a little scroll with a smirk on his face. "The answer is right here, dearie. But first, do we have a deal?" When I opened my mouth to speak, he held his other hand up for me to wait. He said, "I feel I should warn you before you make any rash decisions. You won't be able to handle this." I had scoffed and told him my Lost Boys and I could handle anything but he simply grinned again. "Not this," he stated. "You and your boys are good with weapons but this isn't a battle that can be won with a sword. As much as you'll try, you won't be able to handle it that way." I said that I would deal with whatever happened when the time came. I just wanted the paper. Rumple had smirked and asked, "So, we have a deal then?" And I said, "Yes.""

"What did he want in return?" Henry suddenly asked.

Peter looked over at the boy who was now watching him with wide eyes, so engrossed in the story. Peter smirked a little with amusement and leaned his face down close to his.

"Nothing you need to be concerned with," he murmured gently. "I've already taken care of it."

Henry's cheeks flushed a little at the closeness of the older boy's face. Peter straightened back up, with an amused look in his eyes as he continued.

"When Rumple handed me the scroll, I opened it eagerly and was more than a little shocked to see your face drawn on it. You were perfect. Even without meeting you I knew there was no mistake. I would wait however long it took to find you, as long as you would eventually be mine. And, now, here you sit. You're not completely mine just yet but you will be," Peter stated, his eyes teasing but deadly serious at the same time as they bored into Henry's.

Henry blushed, quickly looking back across the river. He could kind of understand Peter's possessiveness now. Peter had waited over four hundred years just to meet Henry. Now that he finally had him, of course he wouldn't want to lose the younger boy to someone else. As crazy as it was, Henry felt a warmth fill his heart.

He smiled sheepishly, suddenly turning back to Peter, leaning over, and placing a quick peck against his jaw. Peter's eyes widened with surprise at the gentle action as Henry quickly turned away again, his ears bright red with embarrassment.

Peter's lips twitched upwards into a devilish smirk. Certainly the younger boy didn't really think Peter would let him get away with that kind of silliness again.

Peter reached out and grabbed onto Henry's chin, turning his face back towards him so that their eyes were forced to meet. The ruler smirked wickedly at the sight of the boy's wide eyes and the red tinge to his cheeks.

"I thought I told you to do better next time," Peter growled threateningly.

A hint of fear flashed through Henry's eyes only momentarily before he suddenly felt Peter's lips collide with his. Henry instantly felt a shock of electricity go through his body but he was a little unsure how to react as Peter's lips moved gently against his. After a moment, Henry tentatively pressed back, feeling another shock course down his spine. His heart was pounding in his chest and he could feel the blood rushing to his face. Peter gently pushed against his lips once more before finally releasing his hold on the younger boy.

He smirked with satisfaction and ran his tongue over his lips as the boy just stared at him in a daze for a moment. Henry blinked a few times as his eyes suddenly widened with realization at what had just happened. He quickly turned away from Peter, his already bright red face burning even brighter.

"Um..." Henry stuttered as he gazed down at his feet, trying to think of something to say to fill the awkward silence. "I- I can see why people make such a big deal about kissing now."

Peter smirked with amusement.

"Kissing is certainly fun, isn't it?" He asked. Peter could actually think of a few other things that would be much more fun right then but he quickly pushed those thoughts from his head. Henry was much too young for the things Peter was thinking of. He would just have to wait patiently for the boy to grow up a little more. Once Henry was at a more appropriate age, he would be all Peter's. Oh, the things Peter would do to him too...

Peter quickly shook his head a little to clear his thoughts before looking back over at Henry with an innocent expression. He patted the boy on the back and then got to his feet.

"Come on. We should be heading back to camp. It's already getting dark." He held his hand out towards the younger boy.

Henry looked up at it with a bit of surprise before meeting his gaze. He smiled warmly up at him and took his hand. Peter easily pulled Henry gently to his feet and then interlaced their fingers. He smirked again at the blush that rose to the younger boy's cheeks.

"Um, Peter?" Henry asked hesitantly as Peter took a step forward.

The older boy stopped and looked back at him curiously. "Yes?"

Henry was quiet for a few moments before shyly meeting his gaze. "Could I have another kiss?"

Peter's lips melted into an amused grin that actually looked sincere.

"Of course," he breathed, leaning down and catching the boy's lips in another gentle kiss. Peter couldn't help but think that he would have to get Henry angry more often if all of their fights would end up like this.


End file.
